


The Crossroads of Destiny

by metaphilosophical



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Also Kara has a bad arm, Angst, AtLA AU, Character Growth, Connor Deserves Happiness, Connor is a bamf, Did I mention that I love north?, F/M, Gavin Reed Redemption, Gavin will be an asshole, Hank is iROH, I dont know how to write that, I love north, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Luther is a bamf, M/M, Markus is a bamf, Multi, Parent Hank Anderson, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Simon got some issues ;(, Slow Burn, So Many Redemption Arcs, This is going to be sad, Well - Freeform, but dont worry there will be redemption, but he wont get that for a while hahahhah, but most of all North is a bamf, connor is zuko, i didn't say this before but every romantic relationship?, idk yet about that tho, its gonna be agony sorry not sorry, jericho is the avatar gang, just in case yall were confused, like slow slow burn, markus is the avatar, maybe not Simkus, no smut sorry, oh and im changing Kara's storyline big time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-07-20 05:01:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 55,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16130165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/metaphilosophical/pseuds/metaphilosophical
Summary: Water. Earth. Fire. Air.  Stories come and go about the old days: a time of peace and prosperity, when the Avatar kept balance between the four nations. But that all changed when the Fire Nation reformed, and placed a new ruler at it’s head. No one knows who this new ruler is, only that they are ruthless, and will stop at nothing to achieve world domination. Only the Avatar master of all four elements; only they could have stopped them. But when the world needed them most, they vanished. A hundred years have passed, and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken, but I haven't lost hope. I still believe that, somehow, the Avatar will return to save the world.currently on a hiatus! sorry i made have bit off a bit more than I could chew. January 12, 2019





	1. New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Okay first off I just want to say I'm very excited for this fic bc it's been on my mind for a very, very, long time now but i didn't know how to create it. I have made an outline of where I want this story to go up until 6, and believe me when I say that thats not even close to being done. I hope you guys are here for the long haul because this is snowballing into a big ass fucking fic. ANyways enjoy and please comment below!
> 
> I have a schedule to update every week on Saturday, unless I finish a chapter earlier than that. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Elements of Each Character in this Chapter:  
> Josh - none  
> Simon - water  
> North - Earth  
> Markus - fucking avatar  
> Kara - Water  
> Alice - none  
> Todd - Earth  
> Connor - Fire  
> Amanda - None
> 
> Anyways please enjoy I hope to god I got characterizations right dear god
> 
> come talk to me on my tumblr sugarskullz if you have any questions and also Im looking for a beta, so if ur interested please contact me via tumblr.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Stories come and go about the old days: a time of peace and prosperity, when the Avatar kept balance between the four nations. But that all changed when the Fire Nation reformed, and placed a new ruler at it’s head. No one knows who this new ruler is, only that they are ruthless, and will stop at nothing to achieve world domination. Only the Avatar master of all four elements; only they could have stopped them. But when the world needed them most, they vanished. A hundred years have passed, and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken, but I haven't lost hope. I still believe that, somehow, the Avatar will return to save the world.
> 
> Or:
> 
> The Detroit Become Human fic you never knew you needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> Hello everyone! Okay first off I just want to say I'm very excited for this fic bc it's been on my mind for a very, very, long time now but i didn't know how to create it. I have made an outline of where I want this story to go up until 6, and believe me when I say that thats not even close to being done. I hope you guys are here for the long haul because this is snowballing into a big ass fucking fic. ANyways enjoy and please comment below!
> 
> I have a schedule to update every week on Saturday, unless I finish a chapter earlier than that. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Elements of Each Character in this Chapter:  
> Josh - none  
> Simon - water  
> North - Earth  
> Markus - fucking avatar  
> Kara - Water  
> Alice - none  
> Todd - Earth  
> Connor - Fire  
> Amanda - None
> 
> Anyways please enjoy I hope to god I got characterizations right dear god
> 
> come talk to me on my tumblr sugarskullz if you have any questions and also Im looking for a beta, so if ur interested please contact me via tumblr.
> 
> EDIT   
> I have no idea why the notes are glitching?? or is it just me sorry idk whats happening

Here in the north, the weather is a frigid unforgiving thing, even more so out here on the coastline of the earth kingdom. It is November and the cold only grows more and more bitter as the days pass. Icebergs float haphazardly, as three figures carefully navigate the frozen waters.

“Simon, are you sure you know where we are going?” Josh nervously looks around and squints. “It’s awfully foggy this morning.”

Simon sent him a reassuring smile. “Yes, I know these waters like the back of my hand.” He guides the fishing boat to and fro, almost gracefully between the blundering icebergs.

North looks to the water with a bored gaze. “Yeah yeah, if you know the way so damn well, can’t you make this thing go any faster? I want as much time as possible to get Jericho some food and we don’t wanna be caught in the sunrise.”

“Sure we can go faster if you want to get killed by an iceberg,” Josh countered.

North glared at him. “Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had plans on getting captured today.” She shot him a mocking frown. “Does that mean we have to cancel tea this afternoon?”

Simon nervously glances between the two of them. “Hey guys--

“Hey, don’t take your anger out on me. I can understand why you want to get back to Jericho as quickly as--”

North let out a high laugh. “Oh, that’s rich coming from you. Please Josh, you and I both know you’d rather be hiding away on Jericho than be on this mission.”

Josh narrowed his eyes. “I will do anything I can to help Jericho.”

“Except fight.” North froze and regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. But she couldn’t take them back. 

Josh stayed quiet.

Simon turned to look at the two of them, unsure how he should go forward.  “North…”

North pointedly looked at neither at them, arms crossed and closed off. She sighed. “...Look Josh I--”

“Holy shit Simon look out!”

Simon realized a second too late and was caught unaware of the iceberg that the boat was hurling towards. Quickly he tried manipulating the waters to move the boat elsewhere but the iceberg was too massive to curve, they were going to crash. 

“Oh god oh god oh god you guys I can’t do it, we’re going to crash!” Simon’s movement grew more frantic as his panic increased.

“Not if I can help it.” North stomped as hard as she could, causing a pedestal of rock fly from below the ocean surface, cracking the iceberg in half. Ice crystals floated around covering the small raft with a layer of snow-like particles. North huffed. “I thought you knew this place like the back of your hand?”

“I uh,” Simon sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, then started to move the boat once more now that the path has been cleared. “Sorry,” he said lamely.

“Yeah, well…you’re not the only one.” North said quietly and snuck a small glance at Josh.

_ It’s fine _ . Josh mouthed back and shot her a small smile.

The three carried on and soon arrived at their usual fishing spot. It was still dark out, to everyone’s relief. Josh and North sat, each with a fishing rod in hand, while Simon practiced waterbending. He stretched his arm out in the direction of the ocean and took a deep breath. His eyes held a mixture of concentration and apprehension as he started making a wavy motion with his wrist, moving his hand up and down.

Using a lantern’s light, Josh strenuously read from the book Simon brought along with them.  _ “Like the moon controlling the tides, waterbenders move water using their chi to mimic gravitational pull by choosing how to direct their energy utilizing two jings, which in turn work to push and pull the water being controlled. Because of this lunar sympathy, a waterbender’s power is stronger at night, at its absolute zenith during a full moon, and lost during a lunar eclipse. A waterbender’s power is also enhanced during the rain, for obvious reasons. Furthermore, a waterbender’s power is strongest when they are situated in colder climates, during the winter, or near their native polar homelands.” _

Simon holds a pinched expression. “Yeah I know, Josh, trying to concentrate here. Besides, I’ve read that passage a million times before.” Simon takes a deep breath and starts over, using a push and pull technique to guide the water into a mini whirlpool. Simon smiles in satisfaction.

“Nice! Now do some ice claws!” North excitedly adds.

Simon shoots her a look. “You know I can’t do that anymore. That’s a little too advanced for me right now and besides, last time it hurt my fingers.” He rubs his thumbs over the tips of his fingers, absentmindedly remembering the cold pain last time he tried doing so. 

“Boo! You’re no fun.” North sits up straight and turns her focus back on catching fish. 

Josh sends Simon a comforting smile. “I’m positive that in no time you’ll be more than able.” He turns back down to look at the book, fishing pole forgotten. “Okay back to the book:  _ a waterbender's main advantage is the ease with which they can control their opponent, not simply harming them. Waterbending is influenced by ancient healing practices; where people would channel their "energy paths" within themselves to areas of the body where healing was necessary. Waterbending also has a specific focus: body alignment, breath, and visualization _ .”

“Yeah you gotta  _ be _ the water Simon,” North emphasizes this by waving her hands like an octopus.

Josh laughs. “ _ Finally, a waterbender can typically find that softness and breathing is more effective for their ability than hard aggression _ ."

“I’m so happy I’m an earthbender. Waterbending sounds so...tame. Not really my style.” North perks up, realizing she caught a fish and happily places it in a basket. They go on like this for about an hour, North and Josh fishing as Simon practices moving water to and fro. North can’t take this anymore.

“Come on Simon, can’t you at least try to do something with a little more...pizazz?” North goads.

Simon frowns. “I don’t know North, I don’t think I’m ready…”

Josh shakes his head. “Simon, you won’t know what you're capable of if you never try.” Josh flips pages through the book, looking for something for Simon to try. Josh’s face lights up. “Ah! how about using water knife on that stray iceberg?  **_Water Knife:_ ** _ The ability to shape water into a super-sharp edge or point for a split-second, enabling a waterbender to cut through metal, wood, and stone _ . No phase changes and you don’t even have to cut all of it, just a piece off.”

“Yeah, Simon! That sounds reasonable to me.” North says.

The two give Simon the biggest puppy dog eyes and Simon knows that he doesn’t really have a choice. He relents, giving them both a tired smile. “You know I can’t tell either of you no.” The iceberg is floating by itself, a couple hundred feet away. Simon takes a deep breath and concentrates his movement. Slowly, he builds momentum and when he feels the timing is just  _ right _ , he strikes quickly at the lone iceberg. The three look on as a piece of the top slowly slides off, and into the murky sea water below. They cheer, happy at Simon’s improvement.

“See!  _ That’s _ what I’m talking about! Again, come on Simon you can do it!” North claps Simon on the back in praise. 

Simon looks forward, this time with much less reluctance. He takes the position again, and strikes the iceberg, taking a little bit more from the top. The three cheer again, but quickly fall into a silence when they notice something… odd coming from within the iceberg. 

“Okay is my mind playing tricks on me or is that a bluish glow I see from the iceberg.” Josh deadpans.

“No...that’s... _ definitely _ a glow.”

“Hmm. I’d say it’s a cyan, not blue.”

“This isn’t a joking matter North! What is that?!”

“I don’t know but I want to find out. Simon, keep going.”  
Simon’s eyes grew. “What?! Are you crazy?! Let’s just-- let’s just head back to Jericho and pretend we never saw this.”

“Dude are you serious? You aren’t even a  _ teenie _ bit curious on why this iceberg is fucking  _ glowing _ ?”

“North, Simon is right. We don’t even know what’s inside and we have to get this food back to Jericho.” Josh states, but he doesn’t sound too convinced.

“This won’t even slow us down, come on! Just live a little.” North intices.

“Well if you want to open it so badly why don’t  _ you _ do the honors, North?” Simon shoots back.

North ponders on that for a second but ultimately waves her hands, as if she was dismissing the thought. “No... I’m not as meticulous or precise as you, I could potentially destroy what’s inside due to my awesome power,” North states cheekily.

Simon and Josh roll their eyes. 

Josh sighs. “Simon...?”

Simon looks unbelieving at Josh. “Who’s side are you on?!”

“Nobodies! I just-- come on Simon, aren’t you a  _ little _ curious?”

Both Josh and North stay quiet, giving Simon a pleading stare. He relents, yet again. “I really shouldn’t let you guys walk all over me like this.” Simon gets in position once more, ready to strike at the iceberg. “You too better hope it’s not some desolate spirit monster or anything or I  _ will _ kill you myself.” With a final breath, Simon pushes all of his might into slicing the iceberg, opening what seems to be an air pocket from which the glow was emitting from. 

Suddenly, the ominous glow rocketed toward the sky, as if it were a beacon of pure blue light. Then, in an instant, it was gone, leaving the early morning sky as dark as it was before. The three gazed in awe and Simon moved them towards the mysterious iceberg, which by now looks more like a fishbowl if anything.

“This is a really bad idea…” Simon says to no one in particular.

As they got closer and closer, North motioned for Simon to cut a way through in the side for them and he does so. 

With the glow and the eerieness of the night, the trio was expecting a monster, a horrid creature from the spirit world. They didn’t brace for this. 

Inside the Iceberg, was a man.

“Holyfuckingshit.”

“Language, North.”

HolyfuckingSHIT.”

“SIMON.”

The three ran to the prone man and noticed he seemed to be unconscious. 

“Oh god is he dead? Please don’t tell me I killed a powerful being or anything like that,” Simon started to pace back and forth.

Josh put his head to the man’s chest. “No, relax, he has a heartbeat.”

“Oh thank god.”

North instead went to look at the man’s strange tattoos. They seemed to be arrows on all of his limbs, and on the top of his head. She then looked at his strange wardrobe.  _ Orange is  _ **_not_ ** _ his color,  _ she thought to herself. From there she noticed that there was also some belongings not too far from the man’s unconscious body. 

“We have to take him bac--North what are you doing.”  Simon stopped pacing and turned towards the two after hearing Josh’s tone turn stern.

North looked between the two confused. “I’m looking through his stuff? What if he’s a criminal?”

“You honestly believe that this guy is a criminal? He looks more like a monk if anything. You just wanna steal his stuff. Come on, Simon help me pick him up,” Josh stood up, supporting the man’s shoulder as Simon took his feet. Together they waddled towards the raft.

“Hey! You can never be too careful Josh.” North follows them the bag and walking stick in hand. 

“Seriously, stop looking through his stuff. That’s rude!” Josh calls back to her.

They sit on their raft making sure this mystery man won’t fall overboard.

Simon glanced towards his face.“This guy must be freezing…”

North still rummaging through the bag lets out a noise of delight. “Woah no way!”

Josh looks to her. “What! What is it?”

She holds up a box. “It’s a Kalimba!”

Both Josh and Simon stared at her with tired expressions.

“What? They play pretty music!”

“Still think he’s a criminal?” Josh says.

“Hmmmmmm, yeah. That way I can justify going through his shit!” North snickers and keeps opening more pockets.

Simon laughs and keeps on steering.

Together, Simon, North, Josh and this mystery man made it back to Jericho safely, before even a sliver of light graced the new day.

~~~

Kara wiped her brow of sweat.  _ Finally, _ she thought,  _ the restroom is finally clean. _ Kara loaded her basket and walked the halls of Todd’s Manor carefully and as silently as she could possibly be. It was 6 in the morning, meaning that If she didn’t want another lecture,  _ or anything worse _ , she adds, she should get started on breakfast promptly. Kara passed by the supply closet and placed her cleaning basket down. She then retied her hair and took a deep breath.  _ Just a few more days Kara, _ she told herself,  _ Just a few more and you’re out of here.  _ Though, it breaks her heart to leave little Alice by herself. Alice was Todd’s 8-year-old daughter. She has always been so kind to Kara and loved the stories Kara would tell her for bed. Kara always made sure to leave a little extra food on Alice’s plate and made sure whenever she looked sad, to always cheer her up. 

_ I could always--no. No. That would be  _ **_kidnapping_ ** _. I can’t-I can’t do that.  _ Kara pinches the bridge of her nose, berating herself for even thinking of kidnapping Alice...

Over the past 6 months, Kara has been saving money to leave the Williams. At first, Kara was okay with the demanding hours, and crude boss. It wasn’t ideal, sure, but it was bearable. 

Until the day it wasn’t.

Kara rubbed her arm in memory of that day. She would never forget it. From that day on, Kara saved every cent Todd gave her in order to run away, to run away and never look back. It will be fine. She already set up a ride to pick her up and whisk her away from this awful place.

From there Kara focused her energy on cooking. Today felt like a pancake day. She placed all her ingredients on the countertop and silently made breakfast for the William’s. She made sure to cut some strawberries to place on Alice’s stack, making a silly face for her amusement. With a satisfactory smile, Kara went on with waking Todd and Alice.

She walked up the stairs to Todd’s room, directly to her right. She placed the food on a nightstand and walked over to the curtains. Todd winced and covered his face with his covers.

“Goodmorning Todd, Breakfast is ready. Today seems like a great da--

“Shut up you idiot. Can’t you see I’m trying to get over a fucking hangover?” Todd spat at Kara.

Kara, already used to this kind of treatment, motions to the food. “I brought you some feverfew and kava kava tea to help with the headache. Please, get up when you are feeling ready. I made pancakes as well if you are feeling up for it. Have a good day sir.” Kara walked towards the door and closed it silently as she left. 

When Kara opened Alice’s door, she was surprised to see that she was already up. Alice was reading a book, snuggled in close with her stuffed animals. Kara smiled warmly.

“Good morning Kara! How did you sleep?” Alice gave Kara the biggest smile and puts her book down. 

“Very well, thank you for asking Alice.” Kara placed Alice’s food on her nightstand and noticed the book she was reading.

“Love amongst the Dragons?” Kara questions lightly.

Alice gives her an almost sad smile. “My mom used to read this to me when I was younger. It… reminds me of happier times.” Alice looks lost in thought after that statement.

Kara’s heart wilts. Deciding to take Alice’s mind off heavier topics, she diverts them by saying, “Well how about instead of talking, we start eating?” She lifts the lid that covered the plate and show’s Alice the goofy grin made of strawberries. 

“It’s breakfast! And it’s happy to see you.” Kara says with a wide grin.

Alice’s reaction is instantaneous. She laughs that sweet little laugh of hers and thanks Kara thoroughly before even beginning to eat.

“This is delicious!” Alice says between bites.

“Now now, Alice, you shouldn’t speak with your mouth full!” Kara says, but there is no fire behind it, just happiness. Kara moves to look at the clock. 7:12, it reads. Kara sighs.

“Sorry Alice, but I must attend to my duties.”

“Aw Kara, can’t you stay a little longer?” Alice says, with the most adorable puppy eyes.

_ Damn it. She’s good.  _ Kara falters but stands her ground. “Sorry Alice, I will make sure to make time to talk to you later, I promise.” Kara sticks out her pinky for the most sacred of promises. 

Alice grins and accepts the pinky promise. “Great! I’m having a tea party later, and you are the guest of honor.” Alice takes another bite. “So don’t be late!”

Kara walks to the door and says in a very,  _ very _ serious tone, “I wouldn’t even dare.”

From there Kara moves to clean the Kitchen, the Living Room and the Dining Hall (not that  _ that _ room ever needs anything but slight dusting). The Kitchen was already semi-clean, as Kara is the only one that uses it, but the Living Room is a mess: bottles of wine sprinkled all over the floor, stains on the couches, and, for some odd reason, the ceiling as well. But what was worst of all was the red ice pile in the center of the coffee table. 

Kara knew of Todd’s more… illegitimate hobbies, but knew now to never question them again. She recalls the other night while washing dishes Todd had a special guest over. A fire nation nobleman, nonetheless. They were negotiating a deal, and by the end of the night Todd and he were high off red ice and seemed to accept business from each other. Kara really did not want to find out what it all meant.

She rubbed her arm again.

After that, Kara moved onto the trash, moving it outside to the bins, and swept the front porch. It really was a nice day, The sun was out and even though that didn’t keep the cold away, it surely brightened everything there was about the world. One could forget the war and get lost in a meadow on a day like this. With a sigh, Kara got back to work. She made lunch and brought it to both Todd and Alice respectively.

“... By the way Alice, when exactly  _ is _ your tea party at? I left without asking.”

Alice perked up. “Oh! When I finish this book. Don’t worry it’s not anytime soon. Maybe another hour or two?” Alice looked nervously at Kara. “That’s fine right?”

“Of course Alice. I will see you there.”

“Perfect.”Alice grinned

~~~

Kara moved onto the Laundry, hanging them out to dry out back. As she did so, she saw Alice waving from the second floor. 

She opened the window. “Kara! The tea party is starting in a bit, won’t you come inside?”Kara smiled. “Of course Alice! I told you I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Finishing up the laundry, Kara went back upstairs and towards Alice’s room. She glanced at the clock.  _ 2:27 _ .

_ I’m sure Todd won’t mind if I say I am on my lunch break.  _

Alice kindly sat her stuffed animals down in a circle. Together, the two played and the stuffed animals thanked Kara for helping them with the town Dilemma. Apparently, Kara saved the city water hole by bringing towels when Alice accidentally spilled her cup earlier today. This tea party was to commemorate her for her heroism. Kara smiled.

“It’s something anyone else would have done, but I thank you all for this Tea Party. Thank you so much! Especially you Alice. You were the one who brought us all together.”

Alice smiled.

“KARA!” 

Oh well. The moment was nice while it lasted.

Todd came barrelling into the room, startling Alice and knocking over a few of the Tea party guests.

 

“What? Do I pay you to sit on your ass and play games with my daughter?”

Alice winced and shrank into herself.

“No, of course not Todd, I just--”

“What? You just what Kara?” Todd spat. He turned to look at Alice. “And you, Don’t distract her from her work. She isn’t a nanny, and she isn’t a fucking replacement mom for you to play dress up with.” Todd stalked towards Alice. “Because that’s what you want huh? Y-you want to forget about her, you want to forget about ME, because you hate this huh?”

Kara winced.  _ Don’t engage don’t engage don’t engage. _

Todd slammed the wall. Alice was crying now.

“ADMIT IT ALICE. YOU HATE THIS. YOU HATE  **ME** .  **YOU FUCKING HATE ME** .”

_ D o n ‘ t  e n g a g e . _

“Dad, p-please stop!” Alice couldn’t control her breathing.

Todd realizes he’s gone too far. He starts to weep. “Oh, darling, I’m sorry..y-you know I don’t want to hurt you right? Dad never wants to hurt you…” He crumbled to the floor, hugging Alice tight. 

She looks confused and scared. She looks to Kara, who can’t seem to look at Alice right now. She’s too ashamed.

_ Change of plans _ , Kara thought.  _ Alice is coming with me. _

~~~

_ Don’t move, don’t show any kind of discomfort. _

Connor stood in the middle of the garden, Amanda’s garden. There she stood, tending to some roses, back to him.

_ Don’t. Move _ .

“Repeat to me your mission, Connor. Just in case you need clarification.” Her voice was calm and inviting, but Connor knew better. Amanda was the champion of mind games, show no emotion, show no weakness and you will be spared. One twitch, one mishap, and he’s lost.

“Capture missing prisoners, capture any traitors to the Fire Nation, and most of all, capture the Avatar. Lieutenant-General Anderson will assist me with my missions,” Connor repeats back to her.

“Good. You are dismissed.”

Connor starts to leave.

“Oh and one more thing, Connor...” Amanda turned to look at him now. Eyes cold and emotionless.

“You don’t want to disappoint me again.”

“...Of course Amanda.”


	2. The Banished Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin looks back at him, then at Connor; he’s outnumbered. “Fuck, fine.” he motions to the door, but stops and looks to Connor. “I have no loyalties to you. You're just a banished prince. No home, no allies. Your own brothers don’t even want you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHH I Just couldn't stop writing and even though I said saturdays I don't think anyone will be mad if I update early, especially this early into the fic. Like promised I wrote way more connor scenes since he was barely in the first chapter. I really hope you guys enjoy the fic and don't be scared to give annnny criticsm! ANyways I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Also I'm looking for a Beta if anyone is interested! Hmu at Sugarskullz on tumblr ur interested, or if u wanna talk about the fic :D
> 
> I made a map of where the protags are located, which you can find here:  
> https://sugarskullz.tumblr.com/post/178655797577/if-ur-here-from-my-fic-here-you-go-d-ill-be
> 
> Elements of New Characters:  
> Hank - fire  
> Gavin - none  
> Cornelius- none  
> Lucy-water
> 
> Elements of Characters in this Chapter:  
> Josh - none  
> Simon - water  
> North - earth  
> Markus - fucking avatar  
> Kara - water  
> Alice - none  
> Todd - earth  
> Connor - fire

_     plink. _

_     clink. _

_     plink. _

_     clin- _

    Connor pockets his coin.

    A little way outside the Capital, Connor stops, arriving at the front of what seems to be a rundown bar, lit only by the candlelight that glows from within. There are no other buildings around, only an open grassy area surrounded by large trees, making one feel isolated from the rest of the world. He straightens his uniform and prepares to meet the Lieutenant-General. As he makes his way through the bar, people turn and stare at him. 

    “ _ Wait _ .”

    “Is that--?”

    “ _ Keep it down _ , you idiot. I wouldn’t stare unless you feel like dying tonight.”

    The patrons of the tavern slowly went back to minding their own business, making a point not to look him directly in the eyes. Connor was used to this treatment. After all, he’s next in line for the Fire Nation’s throne. Or at least, he  _ was _ .

_ Remember, Connor, your subjects should always fear you,  _ Amanda once told him. _ Fear keeps everyone in line. Fear keeps everyone unified. Fear keeps everyone below you. _

    Connor shook his head from the memory.  _ Anderson. Right. We are here for Anderson.  _

__ Connor walked up to said man and noticed he looked worse for wear. His hair wasn’t tied up in its usual military manner, and he was wearing what seemed to be peasant clothing. In fact, Connor would not have known it was him if it weren’t for his mop of silver hair. From what Connor knows, Anderson was an exceptional officer. He climbed the ranks due to his incredible wit and notable level-headedness. 9 years ago at age of 44, he was made the youngest Lieutenant-General in the Fire-Nation, after successfully leading a task force that was assigned to destroy a rebellion in the southern Earth Kingdom. From there, Anderson went on to achieve great things in the name of the Fire Nation, serving as an integral part in advancing the front line in the southern Earth Kingdom. He also knows that Lieutenant-General Anderson’s job performance has been suffering in the years since his son’s death, which has halted his once impressive career.

    Anderson turned around after he heard the other guest’s whispers. He sneered as he saw Connor. “One more Jimmy, ‘think I’m gonna need it.” 

    Connor stood up to his full height. “Good evening, Lieutenant-General. It’s me, Prince Connor. In accordance to procedure, Our leader has allocated me to assist you on maintaining order as well as a…certain side task that I will brief to you once we are in more secluded quarters.”

    “Yeah? Well, I don’ need any ‘assistance’,” Hank threw a mocking grin back at Connor’s face as he downed the rest of his drink. “Especially not from one of you psychopath triplets. So how does being a good little prince for once and getting the fuck out of here sound?” Hank waved him off.

   Connor paused for a moment, unsure how to proceed. “Lieutenant-General, I think you should stop drinking and come with me. It’ll make life easier for the two of us.” Connor gave him a placating smile.

    Hank ignores him, staring blankly at the countertop in front of him. 

Connor tries again. “I understand that some people are not comfortable in my presence. I mean, look around,” Connor turns back to the drinking patrons, who all quickly occupy themselves as soon as Connor’s gaze falls upon them. “So don’t--

    “I am perfectly comfortable...not scared of you, you prick.” Hank turns to look at Connor. “So back off before you become my dear little Sumo’s next meal.”

_ Last chance. _ “You know what? How about I buy you one for the road. What do you say to that?” Connor motioned for the bartender. “The same again, please.” The bartender poured more whiskey into Anderson’s glass.

    Hank gave Connor a sidestare. “Hmm. maybe you  _ are _ good for something.” Hank downed this drink, same as the last, and stood up from his seat.

    With that, the two of them left the warmth of establishment and ventured into the dark. Hank led them a few yards into the clearing and called out.

    “Sumo! Sumo, where are you, ya lazy bum?

    From the darkness came a thundering sound. “Boof!”

    Connor looked out into the dark and back at Anderson. “Uh, Lieutenant-General? What exactly  _ is _ Sumo?”

    Hank grinned still looking out into the woods. “Hey buddy, I’d like you to meet Connor. Connor, say hi to Sumo.”

    As if on cue, out from the shadows came a running, hulking figure of what seemed to be a very  _ large _ dog. One that was hurtling right at Connor. The massive animal knocked him over and began to lick his face in a playful manner. 

    “Sumo, you’re not a puppy anymore! Godammit stop! He’s not food!” Hank tried to pull Sumo off Connor, but the dog didn’t seem keen on stopping just yet. While trying to tug Sumo off, Hank was certain he must have been hearing things.

    Because there was no way Connor could be  _ laughing _ . 

    He froze for a split second and saw that, no, Connor  _ was _ actually enjoying being smothered to death by his polar-bear dog. In fact, he was  _ encouraging _ the behavior by petting Sumo’s snout with his free arm. It took a few more tries but Sumo finally relented, allowing Connor to stand back up. He still had a goofy grin on his face.

    “So… you like dogs?” Hank questioned. It’s funny, he never thought the triplets were capable of emotions. 

    As if realizing allowing himself to show emotions was a mistake, Connor quickly dropped the grin and straightened his uniform. Hank could practically  _ see _ the walls being put back up. “Sorry, Lieutenant-General. That was highly unprofessional of me. I will make sure I won’t happen again.”

    “Woah, it’s fine kid. Besides… it was kinda my fault. Shoulda tied him up instead of letting him roam free like that.” With that, Hank jumped onto Sumo’s back and lent a hand to help Connor up.

    “Thank you,” Connor said as he got himself situated on Sumo’s back. As an afterthought, he added, “But to answer your question...yes. I like dogs.”

     Hank let out a high laugh and shook his head. He clicked his tongue three times, and they finally took off into the night.

    After a couple of minutes or riding in silence, Hank decided to speak up.“So...tell me about this ‘side project’ of yours.”

    Connor nodded. “Certainly. I have been tasked with capturing escaped prisoners of war, capturing any traitors to the Fire Nation, and most of all, capturing the Avatar,” Connor recited. 

    Hank laughed. “Sure sounds like our fearless leader is setting you up for failure. I don’t know if you know this kid, but the Avatar hasn’t--”

    “--Been seen for over a century, yes, I know. However, there’s been speculation that they have returned. I heard that in the Northern Earth Kingdom that many saw a great beam of pure light, that flew from the ocean, just yesterday. That could be a promising lead.”

    Hank shook his head. “Okay, Kid. How about we take baby steps first. You said you’re also tasked with capturing prisoners, and Fire nation traitors, right?”

    “Correct.”

    “Alright then let’s start there. I got a message earlier today that some high ranking Fire Nation noble was killed by his servant. There could be a chance that this was an assassination plot. That sounds pretty treasonous to me.” Hank said.

    Though not particularly happy with this turn of events, Connor agreed. “Sound’s acceptable to me Lieutenant-General. “Maybe we can uncover a rebellion or something of the sort. Who’s the victim?”

    “Carlos Ortiz.”

~~~

   The investigation of Carlos Ortiz’s death was open and close. Hank really couldn’t believe that Connor was able to do anything except being the Fire Nation’s little puppet, but was genuinely surprised when not only was he capable of reconstructing what occurred, but that he actually  _ found the killer. _ It was the house servant, Cornelius, who was still on the scene, hiding away in the attic.  _ Apparently, nobody bothered to sweep the whole house, _ Hank thought bitterly. Cornelius was taken into custody at the closest Fire Nation Military station, where he was now being interrogated by Hank, albeit unsuccessfully. 

    Hank’s patience was wearing thin and it was starting to show. Cornelius sat motionless, unbothered by Hank’s incessant yelling. Hank slams his fist into the table. “Say something, goddammit!”

    Connor watched this go down behind the safety of a two-way mirror. He was about to get Anderson out of there when the door to the room he was sitting in opened and in came Gavin Reed. Connor frowned deeply. 

“Capitan? It’s the middle of the night. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you at the Palace?” Connor asked, trying to keep his tone as professional as possible.

    Gavin Reed is the only son of a Fire Nation politician, and he attended the Royal Fire Academy for Boys where he became close friends(if you can call it that) to Connor, Conrad, and Richard. Due to his close association with the Fire Nation princes, Gavin was permitted to play with the three at the Palace. His crude and blunt personality made it easy for him to befriend Conrad and Richard respectively, however since Connor was usually the butt of many of Reed’s jokes, the two never really got along. 

    What Gavin lacks in bending, he makes up for in his exceptional fighting skills. Reed is a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, as he is a master at utilizing Chi-Blocking. Because of this amazing skill, The brothers appointed him to the head of the Royal Guard where he teaches the art of Chi-Blocking to his subordinates.

    “What, dipshit? No ‘how are you, Gavin?’ And for the last time, ease up on the ‘Captain this’ or ‘Captain that’.”

    “How are you, Gavin?”

    “Oh fuck off.” Gavin pulled up a chair and sat next to Connor. “I’m here because the only thing your brothers trust you to do is fuck this up. Sent me on your trail, I’ve been tailin’ you since the bar. You didn’t even notice,” Gavin spat. He poked at Connor’s forehead. “You’re slippin’, Connor. And besides...” he gives him a mock grin. “...I can’t wait to see this blow up in your face.”

    “Fuck it. I’m outta here.”

    Both Gavin and Connor turned their attention back to Anderson who by now was fed up by the lack of responses Cornelius was giving him and was leaving the interrogation room. He swung the door open to the room Connor and Gavin were in, frustrated. “We’re just wasting time here. We aren’t getting a damn thing out of him!” Hank said as he pulled up another chair. Hank turned to Gavin, pausing, and then looked back to Connor.

    “Who the hell is this?”

    “Lieutenant-General, This is Captain Gavin Reed. He’s the head of the Royal Guard. Captain, this is Lieutenant-General Hank Anderson.”

    The two nodded at each other and went to sit back down. Hank rubbed his face and sighed. “This son of a bitch isn’t cracking, I don’t know what to do.”

    Gavin looked back at Cornelius. “I mean…we could always try roughin’ him up a little.” He grinned darkly. “After all, he killed a Fire Nation legislator. What he committed is treasonous.”

    Connor considered the thought, but instead stated, “Judging by his reactions - or rather,  _ lack _ of reactions- to the Lieutenant-General’s interrogations, I predict that if we chose to ‘roughen him up’ that the only thing we would get out of him are screams.” He turned back to Cornelius.

    Gavin rolled his eyes and looked back at Connor. “Okay then smartass. What should we do then?” 

    Connor evaluated the predicament they were in, and after a couple of seconds said, “Let me try interrogating him.”

    Gavin let out a false laugh that rung throughout the room. Hank shrugged. 

    “Heh, knock yourself out. What do we got to lose?” Hank waved his hand at Cornelius, who was still frozen in his seat. “Go ahead, he’s all yours.”

    With the Lieutenant-General’s consent, Connor nodded to the two of them and walked out of the room.

    Gavin stared unbelievingly and Hank. “If you honestly believe this prick is gonna extract a confession you’re dumber than you look, grandpa. He can’t do anything right.”

    Hank turned to look at Gavin, with an unimpressed look upon his face. “This kid has surprised me twice today. Maybe he’ll surprise you too.”

    “Hah! ‘Wouldn’t count on it.”

    Connor walked into the room and sat down briskly in the chair. He looked over Cornelius, who still sat motionless, his whole body tense. Connor began to analyze Cornelius, now at a closer vantage point. He made note that Cornelius was still wearing his bloodied uniform and that both of his arms were misshapen, due to the assault. Not only that, but there also seemed to be burn marks littering his forearms.  _ He was abused _ , Connor remarked to himself. Connor straightened his uniform, eyes steady on Cornelius. The man in question didn’t look up at him. He just stared down at the table, his breathing shaky.

    “You’re hurt,” Connor states stoically, motioning to the other’s arms. “Did Ortiz do that? Did he beat you?”

    Cornelius stays silent.

    Connor tilts his head. “We found Carlos Ortiz. Stabbed, 28 times. Written above him, in his own blood, were the words, ‘there is no war.’”

     Nothing.

    Connor’s face turned sour. “You are accused of murder and high treason. You know the consequences to these crimes. Don’t you have anything to say in your defense? I could have you killed. Or worse, I can send you to Boiling Rock.”

_ That _ got a reaction.

    “No!” He cried as his breathing grew more inconsistent. “No, please don’t do that!..” Connor held his gaze until Cornelius pulled away. He glanced at the mirror. “What...what are they going to do to me?” He looked back at Connor with a pained expression. His cool facade was long gone. “They’re gonna destroy me, aren’t they?” He whispered. 

    “As I said, you have two options: be killed or be sent to a concentration camp where you’ll be worked until you die of exhaustion. We have no choice.”

    “Why didn’t you just leave me there? Why couldn’t you just let me be?” Cornelius asks as he hangs his head. 

  Connor decides to humor him. He’s a dead man walking after all. “I have orders to capture any escaped prisoners of war or any traitors to the Fire Nation. I just accomplished my mission. However...” 

    He looks up at Connor.

    “There seems to be some mitigating factors to your case. I can keep your death from happening. How does...5 years in prison sound?” It’s a lie, sure, but he doesn’t have to know that.

    “I don’t wanna die.” He confesses, eyes pleading.

    Connor leans in, eyes intense. “Then talk me.”

    “I-I…” Cornelius starts. “I can’t.”

    Connor decides to choose a different approach. “I understand how you felt. You were overcome by anger and frustration. No one can blame you for what happened…Listen, I’m not judging you. I’m on your side. All I want is the truth. But if you remain silent, there is nothing I can do for you! They will make sure you never see daylight again! You’ll be dead! Do you hear me? Dead!”

     Cornelius seemed to consider his words and nods.“He tortured me everyday…I did whatever he told me but,” He looked away, flinching. “There was always something wrong.”

    Connor leans in.

    “Then one day, he took a bat and started hitting me…I was scared. So I grabbed the knife and stabbed him in the stomach. I didn’t stop until he collapsed. Until I knew for sure he wouldn’t be coming back.” 

    “Why did you write ‘there is no war’ on the wall?”

    “He was apart of some shady businesses. You saw the place. Red Ice was everywhere. He has been...experimenting with the effects, seeing what it can do, what it can become.” Cornelius’ expression turns grim. “A-and I think he succeeded. Recently he went on a trip to the Earth Kingdom, was meeting a man by the name of Todd Williams. Came back with some odd souvenirs…and a ton of Red Ice. I think he managed to create a new stream of it, one that takes longer to wear off and that keeps people docile and compliant, having side effects of near-complete memory loss and mild psychosis based on some notes I found in his drawers. We all kno w Red Ice has become the drug of choice in the growing underclasses of each country. By supplying this new drug to the public, there will be no need for war. No one will fight, they’ll be under the delusion that the war never existed.”

    These are phenomenal revelations, but Connor kept pushing.

    “Why did you hid in the attic? Why didn’t you run away?”

    “I-I didn’t know what to do…” Cornelius looks into Connor’s eyes, misery plain on his face. “My entire life people have ordered me around. And now, for the first time, there was no one there to tell me…” He looks back down and the table, eyes transfixed on a random spot. “I was scared, so I hid.”

    Connor looks back at the mirror. “I’m done.”

    On the other side of the mirror, Hank smiles. “Well, I’ll be damned.” He looks over to Gavin, contemptuous smile still plastered on his face. “Looks like the two of us underestimated him, huh?” Hank goes for the door. 

    Gavin is quietly fuming but follows Hank out the room. “Hey, Guard! Come help us bring this guy to a holding cell!” He calls out down the hallway. With that Gavin, Hank and the guard enter the interrogation room. “Lock ‘im up.” 

    Connor moves to stand next to Hank, who gives him a nod of approval. “You did good, kid.” Connor reciprocates the smile. 

    “Thank you Lieutenant-General.”

    Gavin turns to him. “What he does that to you too? Doesn’t it get annoying?”

    Hank turns to speak to Gavin but is quickly interrupted.

    “Leave me alone! Don’t touch me!” Cornelius says as the guard reaches for his handcuffs. He’s flinching and tremors run through his whole body. “D-don’t touch me!”

    “The fuck are you doing? Come on, move it!” Gavin intervenes. 

    Connor steps in. “Don’t touch him, he’s clearly unstable.”

    “Stay out of this, got it? I don’t care who you are, nobody tells me how to do my fucking job.”

    The guard reaches for Cornelius again, who starts thrashing.

    “Capitan, you apparently don’t understand. We won’t be getting anything out of him if we-

    “Oh? I thought you said you were done, dipshit.” He turns to the guard. “Are you gonna move this asshole or what?”

    The guard is clearly struggling.“I’m trying sir, but he won’t stop.”

    Connor comes between the two of them. “Leave him alone now!” He pulls the guard off and stands in front of Cornelius.

    Gavin gets in a fighting position. “I warned you motherfucker! Who the fuck do you think you are? You’re nothing but a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation!”

    Hank steps in. “That’s enough!”

    Gavin gives him an ugly sneer. “How about you stay out of this one grandpa? This is a long one coming.”

    Hank gives a tired sigh. “I said,” he pulls his hands up, flames ready. “That’s  _ enough.” _

      Gavin looks back at him, then at Connor; he’s outnumbered. “Fuck, fine.” he motions to the door, but stops and looks to Connor. “I have no loyalties to you. You're just a banished prince. No home, no allies. Your own brothers don’t even want you.”  

    Connor looks at him, silently.  _ He’s wrong _ , he thinks.  _ Once I deliver the Avatar to Our Leader, I will be welcomed home with honor, and be restored to my rightful place as heir.  _ He looked back to Cornelius, who by now has stopped shaking. Connor kept his arms up, in a placating manner. “Everything is alright. It’s over now. Nobody is going to hurt you,” Connor turned back to the guard. “Please, don’t touch him. Just let him follow you out the room, and escort him to his cell. He won’t be causing any more trouble.”

    Cornelius went to stand. He gave Connor one last glance.  _ Respect? Acknowledgment? _ He couldn’t tell. He followed the guard out without another word.

_ Nothing was getting in the way of his mission. He will succeed. His life depended on it. _

* * *

 

**_I can’t go back_ ** _ , Markus thinks.  _ **_I killed him. Oh my god, I killed him._ **

_     Markus flies over the ocean, tears streaming down his face. He’s never felt more alone. Lightning splits the sky and the rumble of the following thunder shakes him from his thoughts. His eye shoots up as looks around nervously. When did it start raining so much? How long has he been flying? Next thing he knows is that he’s falling, falling and he can’t control his glider. He’s trying to gain control but he just c a n t-  _

_     He’s screaming at the top of his lungs in terror as he connects to the turbulent ocean waves.  _ **_Air,_ ** _ he thinks,  _ **_I need air._ ** _  He resurfaces again, gasping, but is quickly pulled under the strength of the ocean currents. He’s sinking, down to the ocean’s floor, but Markus couldn’t seem to care anymore.  _ **_Maybe this is for the best,_ ** _ he thinks bitterly.  _ **_Maybe the new avatar will be better._ **

_     He’s about to let go of it all when suddenly he feels cold coldcoldcol _

    Markus wakes up with a stuttering breath.

    He’s not dead. At least, he doesn’t think so.

    He looks around where he is. It looks like a deserted bunker? He’s never seen anything like this. He motions to stand up but is stopped by a set of hands. “Relax, avatar, you are safe. It has been some time since you have arrived here, but I’m glad you are awake.” The woman speaking has a soft, two-toned voice and eyes that are black like fresh obsidian. 

    Markus swallows. “Who are you? How do you know who I am? Where am--”

    “I understand you have many questions. Please, give me your hand.”

    “Just tell me who the hell you are.”

    “...Lucy. My name is Lucy. What is your name?” 

    “I’m Markus. Ho-how do you know who I am? Does anybody else know?”

    “I’m a seer, I sense the energy and auras of people. No one else here has that power. Why do you ask, avatar?” 

    Markus sighs, “Please, just- can we keep this a secret between the two of us? I can't deal with this right now.”

    Lucy is silent for a while. “I will hold onto your secret, for now, Markus. Now please, give me your hand.”

    Satisfied with her promise, Markus obliges. As they connect, Lucy’s eyes roll back. “You had it all...Markus. And then you lost it all.”

    Markus flinches.

    “Your heart is troubled. A part of shadow and a part of light...which will prevail?” She lets go and studies his face. “Your choices will shape the world’s destiny.”

    Markus gives her a bitter smile. “Yeah, you’re not saying anything that hasn’t been already said to me.”

    Her smile is genuine as she turns toward the door. “I believe we are about to have some company.”

    As she states that, the door opens revealing three new faces. Each look at him in shock. 

    The blonde man is first to react. “Hello, We’re so glad you’re finally up. It’s been 24 hours since we first found you in that iceberg and we were afraid you’d never wake up.”

    Markus gives them a hesitant smile and moved to shake their hands. “Though I thank you for rescuing me, I still don’t understand where I am. What is this place? Who are you?”

    The blonde one’s eyebrows shoot up, almost as if he were embarrassed. “Oh sorry! Yeah, you’re probably very confused about all of this.” He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “You’ve already met Lucy, she’s our healer. I’m Simon, That’s North, and This is Josh.  We are the leaders of Jericho. What’s your name?” 

    “I’m-I’m” Markus scrunched his face together. “aCHOO!” He let out a booming sneeze, that propelled him upwards till he slammed into the ceiling with a metallic  _ ting _ and back onto the floor. “...Ow.”

    The three leaders looked at him in shock. Josh answered first. “You just sneezed...and flew into the ceiling.”

    “I’m Markus,” He said dumbly as he stood back up.

    North gasped when it dawned upon her. “You’re, you’re an airbender!”

    Markus looked at her with a smile. “Yes. That I am.” 

    Simon, North, and Josh stayed silent, paralyzed in surprise. Markus grows uncomfortable under their gaped expressions. “Is there something the matter? Why are you looking at me like that?

   “Well, it’s we have never seen airbender before and never thought this possible. We thought you were all extinct until we found you yesterday,” North says.

_ Extinct? _

__ Markus’ face grows serious. “What do you mean ex-

    “I think you three should give Markus here a grand tour of Jericho,” Lucy cuts off, with a warm smile.

    Simon looks delighted. “That sound like a good idea. Come on, let’s show you around. If you have any questions, just ask,” Simon motioned for Markus to follow the group out the door of his makeshift room. 

    The four of them walk down a dark hallway in a tense silence.

Josh leans towards Markus, “There’s not much to show around, you know, it’s hard to come by supplies with the war going on and all. But, I think Simon just wants to make sure everyone feels included,” Josh finishes with a smile. 

    “Right, of course.”

_ War? What does he mean about a war-- _

    “Hey, Markus! So what do your tattoos mean?” North asks.

    Markus is caught off guard by the blunt change of topics, but answers anyway. “Upon reaching the level of master, airbenders are tattooed with five light blue arrows: one extending from the base of the spine to the forehead, one for each arm pointing to the hands, and likewise for the legs and feet. This pattern is an emulation of the flying bison's natural markings, as they were the first airbenders.”

    “Wow, so wait, you’re a master bender?” North’s whole demeanor brightens. 

    “Yes. Ever since I was twelve.” Markus says happily.

    The three look at him in awe. “Markus that’s incredible!” Josh says.

    “Can you teach me?!?” Simon and North both exclaim, eyes wide with admiration.

    Startled, Markus looks at the two of them. “Are you two also airbenders?” He questions.

    “No,” North says looking down, “I’m an earthbender and Simon is a waterbender. But I think someone as skilled as you are in airbending must have something to teach! I’m pretty untrained and Simon...is recovering from an injury.”

    Markus contemplates. If he teaches them, he might accidentally let his secret out, but really, he can’t just say no, they just saved his life. “Isn’t there anyone here who could train you? Or what about your homelands, there have to be masterbenders there who can give you better training than I?” 

    Simon’s face grows sullen. “No, everyone here is either a nonbender or in the same boat - hah! - as us. And it’s not like we can really leave, with the war leaving nowhere safe. Nowhere, that is, except here.”

_ Ask one question and get two more _ , Markus thought tiredly. “Right, right, except,  _ where _ is here?”

    “You’re in Jericho, a Fire Nation battleship that’s been abandoned for many years. We’re up in the northern Earth Kingdom,” Simon says, placing his hands on North and Josh. “This a small refuge from the war. By staying hidden, we’ve managed to stay safe. So you see, Markus, we can’t just get up and leave. It’s not safe. Besides, as the leaders, we have a responsibility to these people.”

He really doesn’t have a choice. 

    “Okay, I’ll help you,” He gives in.

    Both Simon and North cheer. “Thank you for accepting us as your pupils, Markus. We won’t let you down.”

    North punches the air in delight. “Hell yeah! With your help, I can learn how to control my bending, and with time, we can fight the Fire Nation scum!”

    Markus’ anxiety starts rising. “Yeah actually, back to that. You guys keep on bringing up this ‘war.’ What war are you talking about?”

    Jericho’s leaders stop in their celebration and look to him confused.“What do you mean? The war. You know,  _ the war? _ ”Josh frowns. 

    Markus’ confusion only grows. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

    “You’re joking, right? He’s joking right?” North says.

    “Markus, the  _ 100-year _ war. The war with the Fire Nation..?”

    “Hey, I have friends all over the world, some who live in the Fire Nation. I’ve  _ never _ seen any war.”

    Simon looks back at him concerned. His eyes widen as everything starts clicking into place within his mind. “Markus...how long were you in that Iceberg?”

* * *

 

    It’s a dark and stormy night as Kara cooks up dinner for Todd and Alice.  _ Looks like it’s going to be spaghetti tonight,  _ Kara thinks to herself, _ judging by the lack of ingredients.  _ She hastily sets the table and prepares the plates. Todd and Alice are already sitting at the table, something that hasn’t happened in a long time. Kara wonders to herself what that could mean. She glances at Todd.  _ He looks angry, but when doesn’t he?  _ Alice in looking down, snuggling her plush fox. She’s hugging it tightly, almost as if she were to loosen her grip, he’d leave her. Todd is staring directly at her, eyes unmoving. The wind howls outside as the downpour grows harsher. Kara, with a sense of urgency, serves their food. 

    “There wasn’t much in the pantry. I did the best I could. I will make sure to go to the market tomorrow.” With that Kara places the plates in front of the two and pours them each a glass of water. She then goes to stand in the corner, arms behind her back.

    Todd doesn’t move to eat. “Life’s…funny. Don’t you think so, Kara?” Though he addresses her, his eyes still don’t leave Alice.

    Kara answers. “How so, Todd?”

    “I lived my whole life, hoping to one day gain inheritance to my family money,” Todd says, “And now that I have it, the  **_fucking_ ** Fire Nation decides to rides up the Earth Kingdom’s ass and make it all worthless anyway.” Todd leans back in his chair, now looking at Kara. She makes sure not to fidget underneath his gaze. “What a fucking joke. After all I did for them! Can’t trust anyone,” He snorts. 

    Alice looks up at him. Todd turns back to her. “Huh? What’re you lookin’ at?” His voice grows harsh. “What’s your fuckin’ problem?”

    Alice looks back down at her food. He slams the table causing both Kara and Alice to flinch. “No, no you got my attention! You look at me now,  _ especially _ when I’m talking to you!” Alice slowly looks back up, tears building in the corner of her eyes. Todd gestures to the house. “What’s wrong? Not the life you dreamed of, Alice? Is this not good enough for you!?” His voice continued to rise. 

_     Don’t engage. _

    Todd doesn’t stop. “Maybe you think that supporting us is easy? Maybe you think it’s my fault we’re in this **fucking mess!?** Is that what you’re thinking? That it’s my fault your  **fuckin mother took off!?** Alice is crying silently now, hugging the fox even tighter than before. 

_     Don’t engage _ **_Don’t engage._ **

    Todd’s angry face twists into a malicious smile. “You should stop doing drugs, Todd,” he says in an obvious mimicry of his ex-wife. “Stop, Todd, sometimes you really  _ scare _ me.” His breathing grows uneven as he continues. “Fuckin’  **bitch** took off without a word...that FUCKIN WHORE WALKED OUT ON ME FOR  **FUCKIN’ ACCOUNTANT!”** Todd screamed as he threw the table. Alice shrieked.

**_D o_ ** _ n’ t  _ **_en g_ ** _ a g edo n ’ t  _ **_e_ ** _ n g a  _ **_g e_ ** _ d _ **_o n_ ** _ ’ t  _ **_e_ ** _ n g a  _ **_g e_ ** .

    Todd advanced forward, stalking menacingly towards Alice. “It’s all your fault, Alice.”

    Alice’s tear-stained face crumbled. “Dad, please stop!”

    But he wasn’t being reasonable. He was angry. “I said it’s all your fuckin’ fault!” He slapped her across the face. Alice gasped in pain.

    Kara couldn’t do this. She grabbed a piece of broken glass as Todd prepared to hit Alice again. “That’s enough!” Todd turned to look at her. “Leave her  _ alone.” _

__ “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Huh?” Todd was breathing heavily. “Put the glass down, and get the  **fuck** outta here!” She didn’t move. “THAT’S AN ORDER.”

    “No!” Kara yelled back. “I want you to leave her alone. Step aside Todd, or I  _ will _ hurt you.” 

    Todd’s laugh was filled with hate. “I doubt I’ll be the one hurtin’ sweetheart, or need I remind you of your little accident?” with that, Todd lunged at Kara who quickly sidestepped the attack, and in return swiped at his arm with the broken glass. “Fuck!” Todd went to touch the injury and saw blood. He looked back at Kara, eyes unbelieving. “You’re so fucking dead.” Todd raised his good arm and launched a series of rock projectiles towards Kara which cuffed her arms, legs, and neck to the opposing wall. 

_     Can’t breathe. _

    “Kara no!” Alice cried.

    “Don’t you fuckin’ move,  **you’re next,** ” Todd said as he walked back towards Kara. He then made a rock-like spear and held it to the light, as if he was considering his choice of weapon. “You dumb bitch. This could have been avoided if you just did what you were told.” He raised the spear up but he suddenly crumbles in pain. He turned to look at the new injury and found that there was now a fork deeply buried in his backside. “Ack! You little twat!” Todd slowly pulled the fork out and turned to Alice. “What? Can’t wait your turn?” Todd said, walking towards her once more.

    However, that distraction gave Kara an opening. Todd, now injured, let loose of the prison that held Kara down and she immediately tackled him to the floor, scratching mercilessly at his face. He stabbed her the bloodied fork into her thigh and she gasped in pain. “DO AS I SAY.” He screamed, and pinned her to the floor, squeezing her neck. Kara felt around herself for anything,  _ anything _ at all to hit him with. Unable to find a weapon, Kara started to swipe helplessly at his face. Her movement was getting weaker every second she was being denied oxygen. But she couldn’t stop.  _ Alice would die. _

    Neither Kara or Todd saw the water from the broken pitcher shifting in reaction to Kara’s movement. So they weren’t prepared for an icicle to propel straight through Todd’s head as Kara swung for it once more. 

_His body crumbled to the floor, eyes staring ahead at nothing. Kara breathed heavily and rose to her feet. She looked to Alice who stayed quiet, tears streaming down her face. They looked at each other, unsure now what to do next. _We run,_ Kara’s head supplied. Kara reached for her hand, and Alice accepted it. Kara already had her pack ready, and quickly went to pack a bag for Alice. She went into Todd’s room and stole any extra money laying around. With that, the two left and ran into the storm. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoped you enjoyed! Please like and comment below if you enjoyed it! I can't wait to add more!


	3. Frozen Frogs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara kneels, giving her a comforting smile. She places the blanket on Alice’s figure. “We are going to get you help. Come on.” Kara turns around, prompting Alice to climb on her back. She does so, resting her head on the other’s shoulder, and hugs Kara tightly. Kara then stands up and walks toward the mountains, determined to help Alice. For Alice, Kara thinks, I would do anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOOOO WHATS UP NEW CHAPTER honestly this has to be my favorite chapter especially Kara's part which is really odd because I really was dreading that part of this chapter anyways I really hope you enjoy it please leave a kudos if you did and hell, comment what you thought was good, what you thought was bad my guys It's just fiction so I wont be offended but I will take it into consideration for the future
> 
> Talk to me @ sugarskullz on tumblr for anything really lmao but ALso! I downloaded grammarly to help with myself and I realized how many fucking mistakes were in the first two chapters! I'm so sorry I updated those quickly. So no need for a beta! (Unless you want to I'm so down)
> 
> ENJOY 
> 
> Elements of New Main Characters:  
> Rupert- fire  
> Jerry's - none

    Simon looks back at him concerned. His eyes widen as everything starts clicking into place within his mind. “Markus...how long were you in that Iceberg?”

    Markus pauses. “I couldn’t have survived more than a few hours, a day at most.”

    “How do you not know about the war then?” North questions, eyes wary.

    “Because there is no war!”

    “Markus...it sounds to me that you’ve been frozen for 100 years!” Simon exclaims. He starts pacing, eyes disbelieving of the truth. “T-think about it! You don’t know about the war because, because you never lived in it!” 

    “Simon, that’s crazy there’s no way he-

    “Then how do you explain that crazy light? That must have been keeping him alive while entrapped in there.” Simon adds quickly. He turns to look at Markus. 

     Markus, however, wasn’t listening.  _ 100 years,  _ he thought.  _ I’ve been gone  _ **_100 years_ ** _. My friends, Carl-  _

__ **_Carl_ ** _. _

__ Markus feels his stomach lurch and he has to hold onto a wall in order not to fall over. Jericho’s leaders notice his uneasiness. North smacks Simon in the back of the head. “Way to go, Simon, you probably traumatized him with your batshit crazy theory.” 

    “I...I’m sorry,” Simon hurriedly apologizes. “I didn’t mean to alarm you, Markus, it’s just...”

    “I need to get home,” Markus says with an air of finality. “How far are we from the Northern Air Temple?” 

    Simon is starting to really regret exposing Markus to the truth. The Jericho leaders stay silent. 

_     Oh god,  _ North thinks _. He doesn’t know. How could he? _ She glowers at Simon, fuming.  __ “Markus it’s 3 in the morning and you’ve barely woken up from a 100-year coma. Why don’t you wait until you feel better to-”

    “I feel fine. I don’t need any rest. Where’s my stuff? There’s no time to lose. You said we’re in off the coast of the Northern Earth Kingdom right?” Markus turns around, walking back to his room. 

    “Markus wait!” Josh runs after him.

    Simon hasn’t moved, still pained after what he just did. “I didn’t mean to-

    “This was your-  _ our _ only chance at mastering our elements and you fucked it up. I hope your happy, Simon.” She walks away, angrily. “Since you don’t know when to shut your mouth,  **you** get to tell him what happened,” North spat and continued after Markus and Josh.

    After a couple seconds, He moves to follow them, his heart heavy in his chest. As he arrives at Markus’ room, he sees Josh and North still trying to get him to stay. Lucy is gone.   
    “It’s seriously isn’t safe out there Markus, there’s no way you will make it back.”

    “I have to try. I can’t stay away any longer... I’m sorry. I know I said I would train you and I’ll try and come back when I can, it’s just…” He sighs. “There’s something I need to do.” He brushes past the three of them. 

    “Markus, wait!” Simon calls out, eyes squeezed shut. He doesn’t think he can do this if he had to look Markus’ in the face, but he forces himself to open his eyes again. “We haven’t told you everything about the war yet.”

    “Simon...I don’t think this is a good idea,” Josh warns.

    Markus turns around and tilts his head in confusion, studying their faces. “Whatever it is, I don’t it can be worse than learning you’ve been asleep for 100 years,” He bitterly jokes.

_     Oh, you’d think that,  _ Simon thinks. “Please, Markus I’m serious. I need you to understand what I’m saying.” He motions for Markus to follow him back into the room. Markus does so and sits on the bed. 

    Simon closes his eyes and breathes deeply to calm himself. “The Fire Nation has been at war with the world for 100 years now, after their sudden reformation in their government. No one knows what triggered this endless bloodlust, but we all remember the day very clearly, even us who weren’t born yet,” Simon pauses, his voice grows soft. “The day the Air Temples fell.”

    Markus feels sick again. “Tha-that's not possible. No one can even reach an Air Temple if they aren’t an airbender,” he reasons. 

    “The Fire Nation attacked all four at once with weapons of mass destruction, demanding for the Avatar. When no one complied, they-” Simon is crying. “They executed them. They left no survivors. I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry, but they are all gone.”

    “You’re wrong.” Markus shakes his head unbelieving. “There’s no way. What is this? Some twisted lie to keep me from leaving? This isn’t a fucking joke.”

    Simon took a step back. “No, I-”

    Josh steps in. “I understand that this is hard to comprehend. We’ll give you some space.” He looks to Simon and North and nods to the door. “Come on. Let’s leave him be. We’ll get you in the morning.” The three leaders leave without another word.

     Markus, however, had no intention of staying till then. He waited an hour, just to be safe, and went to navigate the endless hallways of Jericho alone. When he finally reached the deck of the boat, the sun was rising in the east. He decided to go that way and to stop for directions if he needed to. With his hang glider ready, he took a running start off the edge of the boat but was interrupted when he saw Simon sitting alone with feet dangling off the side. He looked sad.

    “You’re leaving…aren’t you?”

    “You don’t understand. I need to get back home.”

    Simon nods and looks down.

    “Please, I need you to understand. Things are different now. You aren’t going to find what you’re looking for. You’re only going to find pain.”

    Markus looks at him with anger. “Don’t try and stop me with your lies.”

    Simon turns to look at him. “I truly do understand why you don’t believe me. I went through the same thing.” Simon says with an air of finality.

    He sighs. “Go on then. I think this a journey you need to take. You need to face this, whether you want to or not. But let the anger out afterward. Don’t let it consume you.”

    Simon turns to look back at the sun, who was peeking just above a mountain range. It cast a beautiful light on the abandoned ship. Markus walked away without another word.

    The journey took 3 days to fly. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Simon told him. _ You’ve been frozen for 100 years. You don’t know about the war because you never lived in it.  _ **_100 years._ ** When he first ran away, he told himself that he could never go back. Now it was definitive. He honestly still couldn’t believe it. Hopefully, he can continue his training, and help restore balance to the world. It sounds like they need it with this so-called ‘war’ going on right now. There’s no way an entire population could be slaughtered. It was all lies, sick lies to keep him from leaving. He was right, there is no way anyone who’s not an airbender could have made it up the mountains. 

    Still, the thought worried him. 

_    You aren’t going to find what you’re looking for. You’re only going to find pain. _

    But as the Northern Air Temple came into view, he was relieved to see people gliding swiftly in the air.  _ I’m home, _ he thought, and he smiled to himself. They were wrong.

* * *

 

_ It’s raining,  _ Connor notes as he enters the garden. He looks around. Though everything is a muted grey, it all looks the same as before. He likes the garden, he likes the peacefulness it resonates. He looks for Amanda and spots her on the bridge underneath an umbrella. He walks up to her.

    “Hello Amanda,” He greets.

    “Connor, it’s good to see you,” she says cooly. She hands him the umbrella, which he gladly accepts. “Good job catching the traitor, Connor. I’m sure that was far from easy. Your interrogation skills were  _ very _ clever.” She pauses to look him in the eyes. “You’ve been remarkably efficient, Connor.”

    He tries to keeps his face neutral, but a small smile escapes at the praise. “It wasn’t a problem. I was more than capable, thanks to your teachings.”

    They walk in silence after that for a brief period. 

    “What did you think of him?” Amanda questions lightly.

    “He showed signs of PTSD after being abused by Ortiz.”

    “So what do you think we should do?” She looks him in the eyes again.

    “He’s a traitor to the Fire Nation. No mitigating factors should influence his punishment.”

     She hums in agreement. 

    “As I stated last time we met, this…Lieutenant-General Anderson is to help you with your responsibilities…what do you make of him?”

    Connor pauses, pondering the question. “I believe him to be irritable. But I also believe that he used to be a great leader. Very intriguing. ”

    “He impeded you from a lead.” 

    “With another excellent one.”

    “I don’t believe he thinks you can do this.”

    “Nobody does. That shouldn’t stop me from succeeding.”

    She stops walking, causing Connor to falter. “Something big is happening, Connor. The Fire Nation is home to no one other than those who are devoted to the throne. Disloyalty is a mark of weak leadership. Find these traitors. Bring them to justice.” She pauses. “I’m giving you and Lieutenant-General Anderson a ship to follow on that lead-up north. I believe it could be quite promising.”

    “Thank you for your generosity, Amanda. I won’t let you down.” He bows.

    She walks away, stepping into the rain. Before walking away, she turns once more. “Hurry, there isn’t much time.”

~~~

    It has been a couple of days since he met with Amanda. Now, on the ship promised to him, they set sail to the Earth Kingdom. Connor is on the Ship’s deck, meditating. He breathes life into the candles surrounding him, increasing the flames with every breath he takes, and decreasing them when he lets it out.  _ In and out, in and out, in and- _

    “Hey, your royal shithead!”

    Connor reels at the insult. He turns around to see Hank sitting at a table eating a steak. Beside him is Sumo, laying down idly in the sunlight.

    “You’ve been sittin’ there for hours, aren’t you hungry?” Hank holds his plate up in a tempting manner.

    “Not for anything as fattening as that meal your having. You really shouldn’t eat that.”

    Hank shrugs. “Hey, everyone gotta die from something,” He laughs as if that’s the funniest joke in the world, and continues eating.

    Connor still walks towards him to sit down. 

    They sit in silence for a bit, Hank eating his meal with gusto, til Connor asks, “So...is there anything you’d like to know about me?”

    Hank scoffs. “Hell no! Well. Actually...what’s with this ‘act’ of yours?”

    Connor tilts his head. “Act?”

    “Yeah, uh, the whole…” he points at Connor with his fork, gesturing up and down at him. “Thing you do. Talk all proper, how you sit as if there's a stick-up ur ass, the way you don’t show emotion…is it an act, or?”

    Connor frowns at him. “How I behave is no act. It’s called etiquette, Lieutenant-General. Maybe you can learn a thing or two.”

    Hank stops mid-chew. “Ah,...you’re a snarky bastard, huh?” Hank mutters.

    “Maybe we should start over. How about I tell you what we know about the Avatar?”

    Hank continues to eat. “You’ve read my mind. Proceed.”

    Connor nods. “Right. So as we all know, the Avatar hasn’t been seen for 100 years. That implies two things: One, they haven’t died because a new avatar would have come into existence, and two, they had 100 years to master the four elements. This Avatar must be extremely powerful and I don’t believe we will be able to overpower them with brute force. Our best chance of successfully bringing them in is to outwit them.” 

    Hank shrugs. “Well, if it’s the only option then what can you do?” He takes another bite. “I guess you’ve done your homework, right? Know everything there is to know about me?”

    Connor looks Hank in his eyes. “I know you are an exceptional officer. You climbed the ranks and became the youngest Lieutenant-General in the Fire-Nation, after successfully leading a task force that was assigned to destroy a rebellion in the southern Earth Kingdom. I also know that in recent years your job performance has been suffering, which has halted your formally impressive career. And,” Connor adds, “You spend a lot of time in bars.”

    “So what’s your conclusion?”

    “I think… I think we’re going to be a great team.”

~~~

    They stop in a Fire Nation Colony on the southwestern beaches of the Earth Kingdom. Connor is displeased with the obstruction from his mission but is placated after Hank told him it was to refuel. “Besides, Sumo needs to stretch his paws, isn’t that right?” He squishes Sumo’s face.

    Sumo boofs in acknowledgment.

    Connor grumbles about ‘still not being happy’ but relents.

    They decide to stay there for the night, to enjoy the city life.  _ It is a nice village,  _ Connor admits to himself. The village was filled with grandiose and brilliantly extravagant architecture, and it seemed the people were celebrating a festival of some sorts in the city’s main square. Everyone was wearing intricate masks, and there were food vendors of every kind. Hank looks like he’s in heaven.

    “Ah looks like the Fire Day’s festival is in town.” Connor states as they walk through the streets. Everyone looked happy, enjoying the event. The festival contained attractions such as puppet shows, fireworks, firebending jugglers and magicians. Hank throws a mask in Connor’s direction. 

    “Here put this on.”

    “Why? I don’t plan to partake in the festival.”

    “Yeah, well I’m not too  _ keen _ on getting gawked at by your subjects. Just...blend in for once.”

    Connor sighs and puts the mask on. “Fine.”

    They continue to walk in the crowded streets, Hank sampling the foods and drinks as they pass by. Things seem to be going fine until Connor hears a voice yelling into the crowds.

    “Death to the Firenation!” 

    Connor spins around looking for the owner of the voice. He spots a young man, whose holding a large book in his hands. He’s standing on a platform, yelling to anyone who will listen. 

    “Death to the throne!”

    Connor makes his way to the front of the man and stares. Hank follows suit, leading Sumo away from the vendors. The man notices he now has an audience. “You two! Aren’t you tired of living under this oppression? Don’t you want to be free?” He looks compassionately at them.

    Connor nods. 

     “With this new leader, all of our rights have been stripped away! The royal family is nothing but a bunch of puppets! It’s all corrupt!”

    “You’re right.” Connor agrees.

    The man opens his hand to Connor. “Join me then. The government needs to hear our pleas.”

    Hank laughs. “I think they already have, buddy.”

    The man tilts his head in confusion. It’s then that Connor takes off his mask, revealing to the protestor who he is.

    His eyes widen and he throws the book into Connor’s face as a distraction, bolting down the street. Connor chases after him anways.

    “Shit!” Hank exclaims. “Connor! Get back here!” He mounts Sumo, clicking his tongue 3 times, causing Sumo to run after the two.

    Connor is running and even though the man throws obstacles in his way, he’s gaining on him. The protester seems to notice this and the giant polar bear dog running after him and ducks into an alleyway. It’s big enough for Connor to fit, but not the hulking figure of Sumo. “Goddamn it!” Hank yells.

    Connor sees the man climbing up a ladder and onto the roof. He follows through. “He’s on the roof Lieutenant-General!” Connor yells as he chases the protestor.

    “Fuck. Hey, Sumo go around!” Is what Connor hears until he’s out of hearing range. He starts jumping onto the other roofs, carefully anticipating what actions need to be taken to capture this Fire Nation traitor.  _ The man is nimble,  _ Connor thinks.  _ But years of endurance training aren’t about to go down the drain.  _ Connor throws a blast of blue fire at the man, who intercepts it with his own bright orange ones. He does so again, but it is intercepted again. They make it to the end of the block, but instead of turning right, the man uses his fire bending skills to propel him across the street to an abandoned factory. Connor sees this and stops in his tracks.

    “What’re waiting for?!?” Connor hears from below him. He sees that Hank has caught up. “Let’s chase him!” He says as he dismounts Sumo and runs through the front doors. “I’ll meet you on the rooftop!” 

    Connor takes a few steps back and takes a running start, jumping off the side of the building. For a quick second his stomach drops during the free fall, but he throws his arms down, forcing the blaze to propel his body to the rooftop in front of him. The man probably wasn’t suspecting Connor to follow, allowing Connor to have an opening for an attack. He uses his fingertips to throw flaming projectiles at his opponent back, who proceeds to writhe in pain at the contact.

    “Fuck!” He turns around, and stands in a defensive position. “Don’t come any closer. I’m warning you!” 

    It’s then that Hank comes running out the door, heaving from the number of stairs he had just run up. “Stop right there, asshole!” 

    Using his exhaustion against him, the man quickly overpowers Hank, throwing him back to the edge of the rooftop. Hank quickly grabbed for the edge, but he was now dangling precariously off the side of the building. The man shrugged at Connor and flew off into the night. 

    He was still in eyesight, he could-

    No. The Lieutenant-General is in trouble.

    Connor already made his choice. He ran to Hank, pulling him up back onto the roof. 

    “Shit! OH, SHIT!” Hank breathes out shakily. “We had him right in the palm of our hands!”

    Connor looks down. “It’s my fault. I should have been faster.” He looks at the direction the man flew away in, regretful.

    Hank pick up on this. “Hey, you would have caught the bastard if it weren’t for me.”

    Connor doesn’t respond, still looking away.

    “...It’s alright. That wasn’t even why we came here in the first place.” Hank pulls his coat open. “And besides, I picked up that book of his.” Hank turns to the door, ready to leave. He pauses, looks torn between saying anything else or staying silent. “Hey, Connor?” 

    Connor turns to him. “Yes?”

    Hank worries his lip. He dismisses whatever he was thinking and instead says, “Nothing. Come on, let get back to the ship.”

    Connor follows.

* * *

 

   The storm overhead shows Kara and Alice no mercy. As they ran through the night, the harsh rainfall had beaten down on both their body and spirit. The weather takes a huge toll on Alice especially. 

    On their second night alone in the wild, they luckily found a cave dry enough to keep a fire going. Kara tries desperately to waterbend again, but it was to no avail. She couldn’t control the water, and it moves shakily and untrained. She sighed.  _ Maybe the high tense situation that night allowed my bending to be more controllable,  _ she thought,  _ Maybe it was out of instinct. _

    During the short rest in the cave, however, Kara was awoken repeatedly by gasps and hoarse coughs from Alice’s sleeping figure. In the morning, she looked and sounded even worse and was running a concerningly high fever. Kara knew that if she didn’t get help soon, Alice would be in serious trouble. After two days of surviving in the woods, they find themselves back in civilization, much to Kara’s relief.  _ TAKU _ reads a sign as they reach the city limit. Kara knows this village, it’s common knowledge that Taku was one of the first Earth Kingdom cities to be destroyed in the Hundred Year War. The city never really recovered from the siege. Hopefully there, the two can find somewhere dry to stay for the night as well as medicine for Alice. 

    They find themselves in front of a small general store, peeking through the frosty windows for anyone inside. Kara sees no one other than a bored shopkeep. 

    They enter looking worse for wear, causing said shopkeep to perk up. “Woah, you two alright?” He shoots them a worried glance.

    “Please, do you have anything for fevers? My...daughter, she hasn’t been feeling well these past few days and I’m really worried,” Kara pleads.

    The shopkeep looks down at Alice. He walks around the counter, kneeling down to be face to face with her. He places a hand on her forehead, frowning. “She’s really burning up. How long has she been like this?”

    “About three days.”

    Alice chokes down a weak cough, whimpering.

    “I’m sorry Miss, but I don’t have anything for illnesses.”

    Kara looks down, crestfallen.

    “However,” He starts again.

    She looks back up, hopes reinvigorated.

    “However, it seems you are in desperate need of help. I would never advise this on a stormy day such as the one today, but upon the highest mountaintop here in Taku, there lives a couple of herbalists who were the pupils to a great healer. They should be able to help your daughter if you are willing to travel up the mountain. Please, proceed with caution. The trip is a perilous one.” 

    “Thank you for the information.” Kara goes around the shop, buying blankets and dry foods for the journey they are about to embark on.

    She drops the supplies onto the countertop.“Seriously, you really don’t know how much you have helped me.” Kara says.

    “It’s nothing. I just wish I could be of more help. I really do hope you get the help for your daughter. Best of luck.”

    They are now out in the rain once more. Alice starts shivering. “Kara, what are we gonna do?” She asks, eyes wide and filled with worry.

    Kara kneels, giving her a comforting smile. She places the blanket on Alice’s figure. “We are going to get you help. Come on.” Kara turns around, prompting Alice to climb on her back. She does so, resting her head on the other’s shoulder, and hugs Kara tightly. Kara then stands up and walks toward the mountains, determined to help Alice.  _ For Alice,  _ Kara thinks,  _ I would do anything. _

~~~

    The journey upwards is a battle. Every odd is against them. The rain, the sickness, and the sheer amount of ground they must cover must be discouraging, but Kara persists. Her arm is protesting from the strain, and every now and then she has to pause and put Alice down. A few times now Kara slips, jostling Alice, who lets out small cries.  _ She has to do this. There is no other option. _

    “Sorry, Alice,” Kara says, blinking the rain out of her eyes. Finally, after several laborious hours, they reach the top of the mountain. In the distance, they see a small house, surrounded by a small marsh and decaying trees. Kara pushes forward and takes cover on the porch. She tries to look inside, but the lights are off. 

    “Well…this must be the place.” She knocks on the door. “Hello? Is anyone home?”

    No response.

    Kara worries her bottom lip. She knocks even louder. “Please! My daughter is sick!” 

    She sees a flicker of movement from inside. “Are you there?” She calls out.

    The door opens, revealing the herbalists. They are triplets, Kara notices, all with bright red hair and kind eyes. The middle one speaks. “Who are you? What do you want?”

    Kara gestures to Alice, who is silently still on her back. “I  _ need _ some medicine. It’s my daughter, Alice. S-she has a high fever and is coughing-”

    The triplets break off, allowing Kara to enter. One points Kara to a couch for Alice to lie down on while the other two rush into the kitchen. One is getting a pot filled with water and runs back to the living room to rekindle the dying fire. The other one is muttering to himself. He’s crouching underneath a cupboard, frantically searching for something.

    “Jared? Where’s the echinacea?!” 

    “Check the windowsill!”

    “Oh?” He perks his head up and looks at the window. “Ah! Thank you!” He grabs a mortar and pestle to grind the herbs together. Once done he calls Jared, the one rekindling the fire, to the kitchen for the hot water.

    “On it!” He says.

    Kara watches this all go down with the last triplet standing by. His hand is on Alice’s head, “She’s really burning up. How long has she been like this?” He gives her a concerned look.

   “Three days.”

    “And you came up here? By yourself? In the rain?!” He exclaims.

    Kara smiles softly and looks back down at Alice. “For her...I’d do anything.”

    The man looks at the two in them with a fond smile himself. “You are a wonderful mother. She’s lucky to have you.”

    Kara is surprised by his words. “I’m…I’m lucky to have her too.” She glances worriedly to the kitchen.

    He notices her cursory glances and attempts to assure her. “The echinacea should  boost her immune system to fight the flu.” He frowns. “Speaking of which…Hey! What’s taking so long?!” He calls back to the kitchen. 

    “Almost done!” The two call back in unison. 

    He turns back to Kara with a comforting smile. “Alice will be fine, uh, Ms..?”

    It’s now that Kara realizes she didn’t introduce herself. “Kara. My name is Kara.”

    “Kara. pretty name. I’m Jerry. The other two are Jared and Jeremy.”

    Kara smiles at the alliteration. “Jerry, Jared and Jeremy, huh?”

    “Yeah, our parents weren’t that creative.”

    The other two come in, with a soaked cloth. “It’s actually ‘Jared, Jeremy, and Jerry.’ He just likes it when he’s not considered the baby.” Jared says as he places the compress on Alice’s forehead. 

    Jerry pouts. “We’re the same age! It doesn’t matter.”

    “You’re right, it doesn’t matter. Only to  _ you _ ,” Jeremy shoot’s back.

    Amused by the triplets antics, Kara laughs. She’s cut off by another coughing fit from Alice.

    Jerry stands up. “I’ll go look for something to soothe the little one’s throat.”

    Kara nods and begins to stroke Alice’s hair. Alice opens her eyes. “K-kara?”

    She shushes her. “Shhh. It’s fine, go back to sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

    Alice obeys and closes her eyes once more.

    The three adults hear a commotion from the kitchen. “No...no! Nononononono!” 

    Jeremy frowns. “Jerry? What’s wrong?”

    “Where’s the slippery elm!?”

    “Did you look in the pantry?” Jared sighs.

     He peeks his head into the living room.“Twice now!” 

    Jared sobers up. “The cupboards?”

    “Already looked! ‘S not there!”

    “Even the one-

    “-Above the sink yes! It’s not-!” His frantic cries are quickly cut off. His eyes widen as if something dawned on him. He then runs to the door, and into the rain.

    Jeremy walks out of the house and onto the porch. He calls out, “Jerry!? Where are you going?!” 

    “Bebacklatergivemeasecond!” Is all they hear as they see him drop into the marsh. He plunges his arms into the thick water, smiling as he finds what he was looking for. He climbs out, muddy and soaking wet. He’s holding something not anymore bigger than the palm of his hand. 

    “No, no. I am  _ not _ cleaning this living room again. You’re staying out here while I get you some towels.” Jared walks out of the room, groaning. “Can’t believe this.”

    Jeremy tilts his head in confusion. “Jerry, what were you looking for?”

    He raises his hand and places a small, frozen frog into Jeremy’s. It’s covered in mud. Jeremy gags. 

    “What am I supposed to do with this?!’

    Jerry looks at him frustrated. “Come on, you’re not  _ that _ slow. Frozen forest frog’s skin excretes a substance that helps soothe sore throats. Go wash it off and give it to the little one.”     

    Jeremy hesitantly nods, wiping the mud on his hands back on Jerry’s face.

    “Hey!”

    He grins but then looks back at the frog in disgust. He makes his way to the kitchen, holding the frog by its foot. “On it.”

    “A-and make sure to use cold water! Once it thaws, it’s useless!”

    “Okay, okay.”

    Holding the now clean frozen frog, he makes his way to Kara and Alice. 

    Kara stops him. “Are you serious?” She asks, aghast.

    “He says it’ll make her feel better,” He shrugs.

    She pauses, looking between the two of them. “Okay…I trust you.”

    They place the frog in Alice’s mouth as Jared comes back into the room. He looks at them, towels in hand and says, “Gross.”      

    Jerry laughs from the porch.

~~~

   It’s morning again, and Kara awake’s to the sound of muffled clanking pots. She opens her eyes and sees she’s still on the couch, with Alice’s head on her lap.  _ The frog is gone,  _ Kara thinks to her self. She places her hand on Alice’s forehead and is relieved to discover that she isn’t hot to the touch. Carefully, she wiggles out from underneath Alice and goes to investigate the kitchen. She peeks into the room. She sees the triplets, Jared, Jeremy and Jerry, attempting to make what looks like a white concoction on the stove top. The three are arguing silently, pointing into a book and back at the mixture.

    “What are you making?” Kara says, startling the three men. 

    They jump and turn to her. Jared rubs the back of his head, bashful. “It’s uh, supposed to be oatmeal…”

    Kara leans in closer to look at the pot.  _ I can’t believe it, _ She thinks.  _ They’ve managed to both  _ **_burn_ ** _ and  _ **_undercook_ ** _ it at the same time.  _ She laughs quietly. “I think you three should stick to brewing remedies.” Kara grabs the spoon out of Jerry’s hand.

    Jeremy looks torn. “B-but this should be easy for us! It’s basically the same thing!”

    Jerry and Jared hush him saying “Don’t wake the little one!”

    “Boys- stop. I’ll make breakfast, step aside.” Kara states, shooing them away from the stove before they wreak any more damage. 

    The sigh in defeat giving her the cookbook. “Here are the recipes, go nuts,” Jared says.

    Kara flipped through the book but decided instead to make an easy sunnyside-up egg and bacon breakfast.  _ Hopefully, they have bacon _ , Kara prays silently.

~~~

    It turns out they did in fact, have bacon. Soon the house was filled with the glorious smell of food. The men kept peeking into the kitchen every minute or so, to see if the food was finally ready. Every time, Kara just rolled her eyes and lightly threatened to throw her shoe at them. They took the hint and instead waited in the living room. When Alice first woke up, it was when Kara was still cooking. She was very skittish, as she couldn’t see her guardian, and was instead surrounded by the three triplets.

    “K-Kara?!” Alice cried out.

    “I’m in here Alice! I’m making breakfast.” 

    Alice ran to her and hugged her tightly, hiding her face into Kara’s legs.

    The triplets came into the kitchen.

    “Sorry, Alice...we didn’t mean to scare you,” Jared says apologetically. The other two nodded quickly in agreement.

    Kara smiles down at Alice. “It’s okay, Alice. These men helped you fight your sickness. This is Jared, Jeremy, and Jerry. Say hi!” 

    Alice peeks from behind Kara. “Hi…” She says in a small voice.

    “Breakfast is almost ready. What do you say about helping them set up the table as I prepare the plates?” Kara proposes with a gentle smile. Alice hesitantly nods, and let’s go of Kara’s legs.

    The trio of men smile at her brightly, tugging her out of the room. “Come, Alice! With the four of us, we’ll be done in no time!” Jerry happily states. 

    Kara shakes her head laughing to herself. 

    “Ribbit.” 

    Kara’s eyes shoot up at the sound. Sitting on the windowsill is the forest frog, now thawed. He stares at her, and she stares back. She brings her hand up in a placating manner as if he knew what it meant. It almost seems like he  _ does _ , as he stares at her hand now.

    “Hello.”

    “Ribbit.”

    “Would you like to join us?” Kara asks him and reaches her hand out for him to hop on. He does so, causing Kara to jump in surprise. “I’ll, I’ll take that as a yes.” She places him on her shoulder and continues to make the plates. 

    Kara and her new friend come into the living room and place the dishes in front of her hosts. Their eyes immediately widened at the sight of the frog, but they are too preoccupied with the delicious food to say anything. 

    Alice turns to her. “Who’s your new friend?” She asks eagerly.

    “I don’t know yet. Would you like to name him?”

    Alice thinks for a second, frowning deeply until she smiles brightly, suggesting, “What about Prince? Like in the Princess and the Frog?”

    “Oh? And will you be the princess to break the spell by giving him true love’s kiss?” Kara jokes.

    Alice pulls a disgusted face. “Bleck. I don’t think I could ever kiss a frog.”

    The Triplets stop mid-chew, eyes wide. Then they break into uncontrollable laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a kudos below if u enjoyed :3 and if you remember the northern air temple episode....you'll know why there's 'Airbenders' lmaooo yeah


	4. The Northern Air Temple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He can’t deny the truth any longer now that it has slapped him across the face.  
> They weren’t lying. They weren’t l ying. Th eyw eren ‘t l y i n g .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah!!! Chapter four is here and we finally getting into sum heavy alterations in the story lol anyways I hope you like the chapter and if you don't I'm sorry Ill try to be better ;( Lets get into it!!!
> 
> You can talk to me about whatever at my tumblr @ sugarskullz if u want to my dudes
> 
> Elements of new Characters  
> Perkins -fire  
> Ralph- none  
> Rose-none
> 
> Elements of Main Characters  
> Josh - none  
> Simon - water  
> North - Earth  
> Markus - Avatar  
> Kara - Water  
> Alice - none  
> Connor - Fire  
> Hank- Fire  
> Amanda - None

It’s nighttime and the moon shines on the calm ocean below. As the waves rock the ship back and forth, Connor sits below the deck, meditating. He is in the same position as before and there are lit candles encircling him. As he breathes, the candles glow fierce and subside, steady as a beating drum. _In...and out. In...and out. In-_

    He opens his eyes.

    He’s now in the garden. It’s the same as before, except now it’s no longer raining and there is a warm glow that encases it. He smiles, taking in all the minute details of this place. It almost seems physically real. He wanders the place for a bit, looking for Amanda. She is sitting by the dock, feeding the Koi fish in the water below.

    “Connor, I’ve been expecting you,” Amanda doesn’t turn to him, keeping her attention to the pond. “Sit with me.”

    He does so. “Hello, Amanda.”

    “Yes Hello, Connor.” She gives him an extra bag so he can also participate. “I thought you would enjoy feeding the fish. I know how... _fond_ you are of animals.”

    He smiles. “Thank you, Amanda.” He throws a couple of pellets into the water and the Koi flock to it, popping their heads from the surface.

    They do this for a while, savoring the silence.

    Connor knows not to speak unless spoken to, so he waits for Amanda to initiate the conversation. After a couple of minutes, she does so. “What have you accomplished since we last spoke?”

    Connor straightens. “We have been at sea for nine days now and refueled at the Fire Nation Colony recently. It was the Fire Day Festival.”

    “How does that pertain to your mission? I did not give you a ship to travel, Connor. I expect results.” Amanda turns to him, coldly.

    Connor nods. “I understand that, Amanda. It was there where I was confronted by a protestor who was yelling anti-Fire Nation propaganda into the crowd.”

    Amanda softens, only slightly. “And did you catch them?”

    Connor looks down. “No, I wasn’t able to apprehend him.”

     Disappointed, Amanda only says, “Hmm. Pity.” She turns her attention back to her fish.

    Connor feels like he must explain himself. “I was caught completely off-guard by the situation. Still, I should have been more effective.” He throws more pellets into the water.

    “Did you manage to learn anything?” Amanda speaks again.

    “Before the protestor ran, he threw a book he was reading from as a distraction. Lieutenant-General Anderson was able to recover it, but after examination, we realized it was encrypted. It may take weeks to decipher it.”

    Amanda shrugged unperturbed. “That’s time we have. Get it back to the Fire Nation as soon as possible. What else?”

    “We are heading up north for the lead on the Avatar. I have nothing else to report.”

    “Good.” She throws more pellets. “How is your relationship to Lieutenant-General Anderson developing?” She turns to him again with a sense of poise.

    “When the two of us were pursuing the protestor, we cornered him on a roof. He pushed the Lieutenant-General over the edge but I acted quickly and pulled him to safety. He seemed...grateful that I saved his life.” Connor ran out of pellets. “He didn’t say anything, but he expressed it in his own way.”

    Amanda stood up, brushing off any stray dirt off her shawl. Connor followed her motions.

    “The Great Comet is coming, Connor. and anti-Fire Nation propaganda continues to spread. This reflects badly on the image of The Leader, especially if we are so close to ending the One-hundred-year war. I trust you with this mission because I know you are capable. You’re not the only one who is, however. Don’t disappoint me and I won’t have you replaced.” She places her hand on his shoulder. “You need to stop this. Whatever it takes. Put an end to any non-believers rebellions you encounter, and most importantly, find the Avatar.”

    With a start, Connor is pulled back into the physical world.

_I won’t let you down._

_Not again._

~~~

    He looks around. The candles have gone out, and only the smoke is left. The moon is still high in the sky, but he hears a commotion coming from outside his quarters. He peeks his head out the door.

    “Are we under attack?” He asks the guard stationed outside his door.

    “No, your highness. We have a visitor.” The guard says, leading him to the deck.

    Now, out on top, Connor can understand why there’s a huge commotion. Their ship is being shadowed by a massive Fire-Nation battlecruiser.

    Connor turns to the Guard. “Go wake Lieutenant-General Anderson. Tell him we have company.”

    The guard nods and walks back inside.

    The Ship opens and lowers a walking platform onto the deck. Out from the darkness walks two guards, followed by none other than Commander Perkins. Connor is perplexed about this sudden visit.

    He walks over to him, holding his hand out in greeting. “Commander Perkins, though I am confused on why you are dropping in for a visit in the middle of the night, it is good to see you.”

    Perkins looks at Connor’s hand and back to his face. He scoffs and walks briskly pass him. Connor puts his hand back down and moves to lead Perkins back inside. “May I ask you what you’re doing here-

    Perkins stops a guard. “Excuse me, where can I find Lieutenant-General Anderson?”

    Connor blinks at his rude interruption but tries again. “If you were to follow me, I can bring you-”

    Perkins doesn’t turn to him and instead says. “I ask you a question, Guard. Where can I find Lieutenant-General Anderson?”

    The Guard looks between Connor and Perkins, nervous as he now realizes he is caught between the crossfire. “I-I can show you to his room?”

    Perkins gives him a tight smile. “Thank you.”

    Connor decides he shouldn’t attempt conversation with Perkins anymore and follows the guard to Lieutenant-General Anderson’s quarters.

~~~

    When they get to his room, Connor sees the guard he sent to wake Hank, still knocking on the door. She looks unamused. “Lieutenant-General?” She asks again.

She sees the group and her eyes widen. She turns back to the door and starts to knock more forceful. “Lieutenant-General!”

    It seems that’s what was needed as the door swings open, revealing a very tired looking Hank. He sees Connor and Perkins. “Commander Perkins,” is all he says.

    “It’s actually Admiral, now.”

    There’s a beat where no one says anything.

    “Great. If that’s all you wanted to say than goodbye.” Hank states, pushing the door closed. Connor stops him with his foot.

    “Lieutenant-General Anderson, we have company. Please, let us in.”

    “I’m sleepin’. Come back later,” The putrid smell of alcohol escapes the older man’s mouth, causing Connor to grimace.

    Perkins seems fed up now and pushes the door open. “I’m not leaving because some drunkard wants to go night-night.” He walks into the room, kicking empty bottles away from his feet. He grabs a bedside chair and sits in it.

    Hank looks at him, far from pleased. “So are you gonna do anything or you just going to keep insulting me?” He walks over to his bed and sits down on top. Connor closes the door behind him and goes to stand next to Perkin’s guards by the wall. “Seriously though, what’s this about? I doubt you’re here for a sleepover.”

    “I’m here for any information you have on the Avatar.” Perkins smiles at him.

    Connor’s eyes widen. He knew that something like this would happen. Most people felt that finding the Avatar was nothing more than a fool’s journey. But there were those who were desperate to climb the ranks. Those such as Perkins and Connor. That beam of light ignited a rat race within the Fire Nation’s militaries. _Now,_ Connor realizes, _We aren’t the only ones looking._

    “Why would we do that?” Connor says.

    Both Hank and Perkins are surprised by Connors defiance.

    “Don’t you have a war to fight?” Connor continues, trying to keep his composure.

    For the first time, Perkins addresses him. “I see your exile has done nothing to temper your tongue.” The comment cuts deep and Connor takes a step back. Perkins smirks. “The Avatar is the only one who can stop this war. If you had a single ounce of loyalty to the throne left, you would tell me everything you know.”

    Connor stays quiet. They know nothing really about the Avatar so far, but Perkins doesn’t need to know that.

    Perkins sighs, seeing that Connor won’t comply easily. He stands up and starts walking to Connor. “You know, your ship if awfully small.” He brings his hand up to his face, examining his fingernails. “No real cannons, no armor, hell, I’m pretty sure just about anything could destroy this boat…” He’s now eye to eye with Connor. “Nevermind a top of the line Fire-Nation Battleship with guards armed to the teeth.” He spits out.

    Connor wants so badly to provoke Perkins, he’s so close to just forget about all his training in diplomacy that Amanda has taught him. He’s clenching his fist to restrain himself. He knows that defying Perkin’s won’t do him any good.

    Thankfully Hank comes to his rescue. “We don’t know shit, Perkins. We’ve been at sea for a fucking week, so how about you lay off threatening the poor son-of-a-bitch.”

    Perkins didn’t seem to hear Hank, but he relents and steps back. “Hmm. Seemed like this trip was just a waste of my time.” He walks to the door, but before leaving he says, “Oh and by the way...I’d just give up if I were you, Connor. With the hundreds of warships I have at my command, you clearly can’t compete. Have a good night.” He laughs and walking the room.

     _Provoking Perkins won’t do you any good._ “You're wrong.” _Shit._

    Perkins keeps walking, ignoring Connor once more.

    “You’re just like everybody else! You have no idea what I am capable of!” Connor yells at him.

    Perkins stops walking but doesn’t turn around.

    Connor continues, unable to stop. “Once I deliver the Avatar to the Fire Nation I will be welcomed home with honor, and be restored my rightful place on the throne!”

    Perkins turns and stalks towards Connor, anger in his eyes. He grabs him by his lapels, lurching Connor off his balance. “You better watch yourself. If your family really wanted you home, they would have let you return by now, Avatar or no Avatar. But in their eyes, you are a nothing but failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation. If you were to ask me for my opinion, they shouldn’t even be giving you have a second chance.” He throws Connor back and inhales to find his composure once more. Once again, he leaves, only this time he doesn’t come back.

    Connor straightens his uniform and brushes his hair back.

    “What a fucking prick,” Hank says lamely, turning to Connor. “...Hey Connor?”

    Connor looks at him. “Yes, Lieutenant-General?”

    Hank sighs and looks as if he was going to dismiss his thoughts, but instead says, “You know, I actually don’t know what you did to get exiled...I was, heh, I was probably too drunk off my ass to even bother to attend the, uh, ceremony.”

    Connor smiles at the little joke of Anderson’s alcoholism.

    But Hank continues. “So what was it? Did ya kill someone or...” Hank jokes lightly.

    Connor stays quiet.

    Hank frowns. “...Did you?”

    Connor decides to ignore the question.

    “Sorry to have disturbed you tonight, Lieutenant-General,” Connor says, sounding detached. He starts walking to the door. Before he leaves, he gives the older man a curt nod and states, “Have a good night.” The door slams a little louder than what's necessary behind him, but Hank doesn’t seem to mind.

    “...Yeah, g’night, Connor,”  He says, even though Connor is long gone. He pulls the covers from underneath him and falls back into his bed with a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 

    “Are you sure you have everything?” Jerry asks again, fretting over Kara and Alice. After breakfast, Kara stated that she and Alice better start heading out, sending the men into a state of fear for the two. Immediately, they went to look for any supplies they can part with, which is why Kara and Alice now had a blanket, water skins, one jacket each, a map of this area, a compass, a jar of salves, and three doting men checking their bags for all their supplies.

    Kara rolls her eyes but smiles at him. “Yes, Jerry. We have all our supplies and then some. Seriously, We don’t need anything else.” She grabs her pack, straining from the weight. “Or carry anything else, oh god.” With the help of Jared, Kara gets the backpack on. They are on the house’s porch saying their goodbyes.

    Jared nods. “Remember, give the little one this salve today and tomorrow. After that, you shouldn’t worry about fevers anymore.”

    Kara smiles warmly. “Yes thank you so much for your help.” She grabs her coin bag from her shawl.

    Jeremy shakes his head. “No, your amazing cooking and friendly hospitality were more than enough to pay for our help.”

    Kara smiles but insists. “Please, if not the salves, then all these supplies you are giving us. I need some way of thanking you for your help.”

    Jeremy frowns, but says, “Alright. But know that you are always welcome if you want to make the trek all the way back up here again.” He laughs.

    “You just had to go with Mountain Top, huh?” Kara asks playfully.

    Jeremy looks insulted. “I’m not the one who chose! Blame my teacher! She was the one with the theatrics.” Jeremy rolls his eyes while his brothers laugh.

    Kara laughs, pulling Jeremy in for a hug. “Seriously, thank you for all your help. It’s really appreciated.”

    She hugs Jared, then Jerry, scolding the youngest for jumping into the swampy water one last time.

     “Well if it wasn’t for me, You would have never met your new friend.” He looks around. “Speaking of that frog, where did he go?”

    “He’s here!” Alice says happily. She’s holding the frog in her hands and stroking the head softly. She looks to Kara eyes big. “Can we keep him?”

    “I don’t see why not. As long as we feed him, he should be okay.”

    Alice giggles with excitement at the new addition to their family. She turns her focus back on Prince, placing him on her shoulder as Kara did earlier.

    Everybody’s hearts melt at the sight.

    “We can stop by the general store again, see if they carry any live bait!” Alice says, still looking at her new friend as she reaches for Kara’s hand.

    Kara smiles sweetly at her. “That sounds like a great idea.”

    Alice looks up at her, and then at the three men. She grows shy. “T-thank you for all your help.”

    Their big, identical smiles take over their whole face. “It wasn’t a problem Alice, ”Jerry says.

    “We’re just glad your okay,” Jared finishes.

    “Please take care!” Jeremy adds.

    Alice gives them all a small nod and an even smaller smile.

    “Time to go, Alice,” Kara says, gently pulling her to the pathway. Alice follows frog back in hand.

    As the two begin their descent down the mountaintop, they hear a final “Goodbye!” from all three men, and then nothing else but the natural ambiance of the wildlife surrounding them.

    The trek down took less time than the uphill battle Kara walked, but it was still as dangerous as before. The rain stopped early this morning, but a fog had settled, making visibility very difficult. Not to mention the slippery mud that encased the dirt path. They had a couple of scares, but after 3 long hours, they make it to the base of the mountain and back into the village of Taku. The streets are empty, and even though this is a fairly small village, it’s nearly 2 in the afternoon; people should be out right now.

   _Something is not right._ Her face pales as she sees scorch marks on a building. A shiver runs down Kara’s back. _Fire Nation._ She turns to Alice, crouching and says. “Alice do you want to play a game?”

    Alice smiles at her warmly. “I love games!”

    Kara nods trying to keep a smile on her face. “Well, this is a quiet game.” She emphasized by whispering. “We’re going to see who can be quieter for a longer period of time. How does that sound?”

    Alice smiles and goes to reply but then closes her mouth shut in an exaggerated manner, telling Kara that the game has started. She grabs Prince, and puts a finger to her lips, telling him that he is playing as well. Satisfied, Kara stands back up and grabs Alice’s hand once more leading her to where the General Store was.

    They pass by more burned walls and broken windows. And Kara sees some doors are missing from their hinges. She holds Alice closer, afraid of what they will see if they dared to look inside. They walk slowly, careful not to make much noise to Kara’s relief. The sight of the store comes into view, and it looks like the rest of the buildings, broken windows, burnt walls, and the smell of smoke. Alice looked scared like she doesn’t want to enter. Neither does Kara. She looks down at Alice, and motions for her to cover her eyes. Alice looks at her even more frightened but complies, bringing her hands to her face. Together, they enter the store.

    Kara sweeps the floor with her feet, pushing the broken glass out of their way. The inside of this place has been ransacked. Goods that weren’t stolen are thrown haphazardly everywhere. Kara is afraid that the goods aren’t the only thing they are going to find. She combs through the aisle, and as would luck have it, this place did, in fact, have live bait. She grabs a container and puts some worms into it, hoping that this would lighten Alice’s mood. While storing the worms away she sees something that makes her blood run cold. It’s a drag stain, one that is a sticky reddish-brown.

   **_Blood,_ ** Her mind tells her. **_This is blood._ **

    Kara was to cover her mouth to keep her from whimpering. It leads to behind the counter. With shaky legs, Kara walks around, leaving Alice on the other side, just in case of what lurks behind. It’s a good thing she does because it’s the shopkeeper, dead. His body his crumpled in on itself, eyes still wide open with fear. Blood has clotted but is still a sticky red as it oozes slowly from an open wound in his chest. His arms and parts of his face are burned severely. Kara whimpers and scurries back from the display.

    “Kara? Are you alright?” Alice says quietly, forgetting about the game. Her hands are still on her eyes, but Kara can see that Alice is very stressed. She decided to lie to her.

    “Of course Alice. I just almost tripped.” She whispers back.

    Alice worries her lip. “I don’t like it here. I want to go back to Jerry’s place and talk to his brother’s again,” she admits in a small voice.

    Kara hugs her gently. She leads them out of the General Store and back onto the street. Alice looks down, crestfallen. Kara's eyes light up, and she quickly grabs the worms from her bag, hiding them from Alice. “As I said, the winner of the game gets a prize.”

    Alice tilts her head, confused. “You never said that.”

    Kara’s eyes open. She looks down at Alice. “Oh. Then I want to give the winner of the game a prize!” She holds the jar of worms to Alice. “I think Prince rightfully deserves it.”

    Alice gasps with delight. “Worms!”

    Kara laughs and opens it up. Prince stares for a second and crawls down Alice’s arm. He stops as he reaches Alices palm, and stares into the jar dumbly. He grabs a worm with his mouth and all but scarves it down. Alice laughs.

         After that, they walk to the edge of town in silence. Kara gives Taku on last sad look as they finally leave the desolate village.

~~~

    For three days now Kara and Alice have been backpacking the wilderness. She doesn’t know where she’s taking Alice, but she knows that they have to lay low, for now, just in case someone sees them and turns them in. They reach a semblance of society again. This one has far more people, but it doesn’t look any more inviting. The streets are filled with debris and she sees shifty eyes looking their way. She pulls Alice closer.

    Walking further down the street, Kara spots an Inn and almost sighs in relief. They haven’t slept safely inside doors since the Triplets’ house. She walks quickly to get Alice out of the cold. A warm glow encaptures the place, making it seem even more inviting. The innkeeper is an old woman, who looks at the two with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

    “Hello! Welcome. How may I help you?” She says, smile still plastered on her face.

    Though it makes Kara wonder how she could be smiling so big, she doesn’t comment on it. “Yes, hello we would like a room please.”

    “Perfect! What are your names?”

    Kara is taken aback. _Quick think of something or else she’ll know its fake._ “Valorie?”

    The woman tilts her head.

    “I’m Valorie. And this is my daughter,.. Aubrey.” She smiles forcefully.

    The woman notices now all the supplies Kara is carrying, as well as the rugged conditions their clothes are in. She nods knowingly. “Right, okay Valorie. One night is 119.”

    Kara’s eyes widen at the price. That puts a huge dent in their wallet, and it’s something Kara doesn’t think they can afford. She looks up at the woman who is still smiling. Something in the woman clicks and she seems to understand that Kara can’t pay for the night. She looks around and leans in to hear. “Listen, I can’t lower the price but I can give you some information.” She looks around one last time before continuing. “You seemed like a well-traveled individual and the hesitance in you giving your name tells me that there's a reason you didn’t want to give it out. You’re on the run. If you can get to the Serpent’s Pass, there’s a man who lives near the entrance named Zlatko. He can get people to safety If you understand what I’m saying.”

    Kara nods slowly. “Serpents Pass? But that’s so far-

    “I’m sorry Miss, but I can’t let you stay. Please, If you aren’t renting a room, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

    Kara takes the hint. _Don’t speak about this to anyone,_ The woman’s eyes seem to say behind that smile. Kara nods and walks out the inn, with Alice in hand. Kara realizes now that they still don’t have anywhere to stay for the night. She looks around but it’s dark. She walks Alice down the street until they get back to the edge of town. They could just sleep in the forests again, but Kara heard wolves the night before and doesn’t want to push her luck.

    She’s about to resign to that option when she sees the outline of an abandoned home a little ways off to her right. All the windows have been boarded up, and half of the roof is missing, but Kara sees a chimney and that settles it. With the amount of wood blocking the windows, Kara could easily start a fire for tonight.

    "Come on Alice, let's get somewhere safe." She guides Alice to the house, but she resists.

    "Are you sure it's safe Kara?" She looks to the house with fearful eyes. "It doesn't seem like a nice house."

    Kara smiles and brings her closer. "Don't worry Alice, it's just for tonight. Beside's I'll make sure you're safe."

    Together they make their way to the door. Kara tries to open it but it’s locked. She shakes the handle but it’s to no avail.  She walks the length of the house to a window, and tries to peek in.

    She squints her eyes but the darkness is too thick to make anything out. “I can’t see inside. We'll have to look for another way in.” Kara says looking up at the house. She turns to Alice, but she isn’t there. She looks around frantically. “Alice?!” She’s nowhere in sight and Kara is getting scared with every passing second. “Alice?!?” She tries again but hears no one answer. She walks to the side of the house and sees Alice being held at knifepoint. Her stomach drops.

* * *

 

    As Markus arrives at the base of the temple, he’s overcome by a wave of happiness, but also one of sadness. _Bittersweet,_ his mind supplies. _The feeling is bittersweet._ The temple looks just the same as before he left, but somehow he can tell it has aged. He’s a man out of his time. A big difference he notices as he’s walking by is that nobody is wearing the traditional orange color's that Airbenders wear. The Airbenders today seem to have a more...relaxed sense of uniformity. Markus is not sure if he's pleased with that. He walks from the patio at the main entrance, smiling widely at the Airbenders who fly above him. There's something off in the way control the air, he frowns. It's almost as if they-

    Markus is suddenly falling, as he slipped on a lone rock that was in his way. He manages to catch himself, however, with a breeze that rightens him back up.

    Everyone in the vicinity gawks at him. He's uncomfortable underneath their gaze.

He looks at them and forces a smile. They keep on staring, unblinking, so Markus takes that as his cue to leave. He walks past them in a rush. He already knows where the conservatory is, where the Main Monks will be meditating so he doesn’t have to bother anyone else. Still, he feels like he’s sticking out like a sore thumb thanks to his bright attire.

    As he’s making his way to the conservatory he notices now that something is clearly wrong. There seems to be a lack of people the closer he gets, and after a couple of minutes the place seemed almost abandoned. It’s almost as if no one has been here in a _long_ time. There’s dust everywhere, cobwebs in corners, and bat’s hanging from the cieling.

    “We really let our selves go huh?” Markus says to himself. Finally, he makes it to the front entrance of the conservatory. The doors are massive, carved with intricate designs that show true craftsmanship. He looks at them with a beloved gaze. With how big they are, only with a great gust of wind could someone open it. He grabs his staff and swings it to the door, making an arc of air to blow the doors wide open.

    The conservatory is filled with dead bodies.

    Markus sees skeletons by the hundreds, stacked into huge piles that raise to the ceiling. There are scorch marks trailing up the walls, burnt furniture, and books scattered everywhere. The place looks like it has been undisturbed for years and Markus screams as if he were in pain, and falling to his knees. The sight of all these dead bodies brings Markus into the grim reality of what is today. He can’t deny the truth any longer now that it has slapped him across the face.

     **_They weren’t lying. They weren’t l ying. Th eyw eren ‘t l y i n g ._ **

Suddenly Markus doesn’t feel in control anymore. He is far away from the horrid sight in front of him and he feels nothing but pure rage. With a flick of his wrist, he throws a piece of the wall back, causing a tremor to travel within the very foundation of the temple. He walks away from the conservatory with eyes that glow a bright white.

    His destruction doesn’t stop there. As he walks back to the front of the temple, dust is flying everywhere, causing the bats to flee. The ground trembles from his rage and even though a part of his is resisting, saying that _this is wrong, I shouldn’t be destroying this place_ , he can’t hear it due to the pain **hurt** **_grief_ ** that is plaguing is mind. With a swipe of his arm, more walls fall, becoming nothing more than stray debris. People are running away from him, but he can’t seem to care about them. His people are dead. **_Dead_ ** _. They were_ **_murdered_ ** _and I wasn’t here to stop it._ He’s in a courtyard now and the trees surrounding him shake with the winds he’s creating. He’s crying but the destruction he’s inflicting on this place abates the pain. It makes him feel better. _Good._ He brings his arm up and with it comes the patio floor and rocks, he’s about to absolutely destroy this place when he sees a face he thought we would never see again.

     _Carl._

    It’s a statue, one made of metal. Carl is sitting with a kind expression and open arms. It calms Markus down, only slightly. He lowers his arm and with it comes the crumbling rocks.

   _I think this a journey you need to take,_ Simon’s voice rings through his ears. _You need to face this, whether you want to or not. But let the anger out afterward. Don’t let it consume you._

**_Don’t let it consume you._ **

**** The glow from Markus’s eyes diminishes, exposing his two mismatched eyes to the world once more. Suddenly he feels very weak and he stumbles, holding onto Carl’s statue for support. It’s to no use though, and he falls to the floor. Before his eyes close and he’s pulled into oblivion, he sees a figure walking towards him.

~~~

When Markus wakes up again, he realizes he’s in one of the quarters of the temple. He looks around. On the nightstand sits a glass of water which he graciously drinks. There’s no one else in the room, but he sees an open book faced down as if someone was trying to save the page number. He stands up from his bed, stretching his stiff joints. Then he remembers.

     _The destruction. Oh god, did anyone get hurt because of me? I was so reckless what was I thinking-_

The door opens, pulling him from his thoughts. At the door is a middle-aged woman. Her face is round and her coiled hair is pulled into a ponytail that goes in all directions. Her brown eyes are kind and so welcoming. Smiles genuinely at him. “Hello, I’m so glad your up.”

    Markus is nauseous of how similar her greeting is to the one of Jericho.

    She grabs her book and sits on the bedside chair. “My name is Rose. I’m the leader of this place of refuge. And you are?”

    He looks at her with tired eyes. “...Markus.”

    She nods. “So, Markus, are you the avatar?”

    “Yes and look I’m so sorry for what I did. I was in denial for so long, I didn’t know how to-

    She cuts him off with a placating gesture. “It’s quite alright Markus, I have some Earthbenders who are almost done with fixing the walls, it should be safe to enter the east hall by tomorrow.”

    Markus swallows. “Still, I was reckless.”

    “You were consumed by grief, something I know much about.” She sighs heavily. “Unfortunately, I think it’s something everyone these days knows something about." She gazes into Markus eyes, with an understanding that Markus didn't know she was capable of. "What I’m saying is that you shouldn’t blame yourself for what happened. No one was harmed.”

Markus calms visibly from her words, but isn't convinced _._ “Thank you.”

    Rose smiles in a comforting manner. “Do you mind going for a walk, Avatar Markus?”

    ~~~

    They walk down the western hall, where it seems like children are playing happily with some lemurs. Markus smiles. This place...is _almost_ untouched by the scars of war. It’s so much different from the atmosphere of Jericho, where everyone was too afraid of making noise, where everyone was hiding in the darkness because the light was too exposing. He feels guilty for abandoning them.

    “I’m sorry for what you saw, Markus,” Rose states mournfully.” I had that wing quarantined when we first arrived, and no one dared to go that far back so I-”

    “You are not to blame for the Fire Nation’s actions. Besides, I needed to face the truth that my people are really gone.” Markus’s eyes find Rose’s and he tries to give her a comforting smile.

    “Still, we should have given them a proper burial. They at least deserve that.”

    Markus has nothing to say to that because he knows it’s true. He decides to change the topic. “This refuge seems to be prospering, Rose. I admire your leadership.”

    Rose beams from the praise. “That means a lot coming from you, Avatar Markus.” She looks to the kids playing once more, with a joyful smile. “We have been here for 13 years and have set up a little community of the sorts. We have farmers, teachers, artisans and construction workers. We all help so we all flourish.”

    Markus thinks of Jericho once more and feels a strong anger rise up inside him. _They don’t deserve to hide in the dark any longer. The world deserves peace and light._

     Markus turns to Rose. “How is housing?”

    Perplexed, Rose says, “We have many halls in the south wing that are still vacant, why do you ask, do you plan on staying here?”

    “There’s a place I know that is a refuge. However, they are a struggling community. It’s leaders hunt for food constantly and they looked tired and afraid. I wish they didn’t have to feel like that anymore.”

    Rose smiles. “You have a kind heart, Avatar Markus. This refuge is more than welcome to stay with us. Do you plan on leading them here?”

    Nodding, Markus says, “Yes. However since they are so low on supplies, I think it will be some time before we make the journey here. I will help them in any way I can. I will write to you when I am able to update you on our developments. Thank you so much for your hospitality, Rose. I hope to see you soon.” He bows to her, graciously.

    “I hope for the same, Avatar Markus. With your kind heart, I know that we will see each other soon.”

    With the final goodbye, Markus opened his glider and leaped into the sky. Rose stood there staring into the sky until she couldn’t see the speck that was the Avatar anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hoped you liked the chapter but I feel like I need to clarify something for this chapter. Okay According to Legend of Korra, people other than the Avatar can cross into the spirit world, my main reasoning being Jinora. I don’t think this was addressed in ATLA but I felt it needed to be said. So, because of that fact, I made it possible for Amanda and Connor to be able to meet there and talk. It’s like a conference call, and it’s very similar to the Zen Garden in the game, but Connor only does it to Report back to Amanda. Sorry for any confusion!  
> Thank you for reading! Please leave a like and comment below :D


	5. The Stream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Though the night is dark, Kara’s eyes catch on the metallic glint that comes from a man’s hand. Her face pales as she observes what's happening and she immediately intervenes in order to keep Alice safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH Im so fuckin sorry this update came late mid terms have been riding up my ass I know its not a real excuse but I finally finished it! The chapter, I mean. not the fic. The fic is now where close to being done #sorry  
> anyways I actually changed this chapter up a bit, Kara technically has three parts instead of just one sorry if ur not feeling Kara-centric storytelling it's just this chapter sorry anyways I hope u enjoy please comment and leave kudos if u want more :D
> 
> Also!! I made sum costume designs for the Jericho crew here on my tumblr if u wanna see!  
> https://sugarskullz.tumblr.com/post/179071807857/clothing-designs-for-an-atla-au-im-writing-im
> 
> I'm going to to Connor, Hank, Sumo and Amanda next :3 if u wanna see any more.
> 
> Anyways I hope u enjoy! I think this is the longest chapter so far?
> 
> There are no new characters in this chapter :3
> 
> Elements of Main Characters  
> Josh - none  
> Simon - water  
> North - Earth  
> Markus - Avatar  
> Kara - Water  
> Alice - none  
> Connor - Fire  
> Hank- Fire  
> Amanda - None

As Kara turns the corner of the abandoned house, She sees Alice being held at knifepoint. Though the night is dark, Kara’s eyes catch on the metallic glint that comes from a man’s hand. Her face pales as she observes what's happening and she immediately intervenes in order to keep Alice safe.

    “Stop!” Kara cries as she pushes the man backward. “What do you think you’re doing?!” She makes sure to keep herself between the man and Alice, just in case this goes south. Alice clings to Kara for comfort, but Kara dares not to take her eyes off the man in front of them. Now closer, Kara can see a nasty scar trailing up the man’s face, leaving skin twisted and red. 

    The man seemed to be caught off guard by a second person, his eyes looking at the pair with anxious glances, but his knife never wavers. Seeing now that Kara is a bigger threat, he directs most of his focus to her. 

    “Visitors,” He spits out. “Ralph doesn’t like visitors! They’re nasty! They could… they could hurt Ralph.” With that the man looks down, almost lost in thought, eyes twitching. He starts muttering to himself, bringing the knife closer to his figure. Kara goes to move, but then, as if he was remembering where he was, he looks back up and brings the knife even higher than where it was before, nearly at Kara’s eye level, making Alice whimper in fear. Kara knows now she shouldn’t try to run away.

   “We just need a place to stay for the night, please.”

    The man’s face grows solemn, and he shakes his head repeating himself, “Visitors are dangerous…” Slowly with his free arm, he lightly outlines the scars that run down the left side of his face. “Jus-just look what they did to Ralph.”

    She tries a different approach, forcing the fear in her eyes to melt into something more compassionate. She gestures to him in a placating manner. “We’re not going to do you any harm.” She grabs Alice’s hand for comfort and to also show Ralph that they are friendly. “Please. We just need a place to stay for the night.” She smiles at him reassuringly. 

    “You have nothing to worry about. You have my word.”

    With that, Ralph drops the knife away from Kara and Alice, looking down at the ground, almost ashamed of his actions. He tilts his head away from them saying in a small voice, “You must excuse Ralph…”

    Kara looks at him, still wary of the danger he has presented himself to be.

    “Ralph find it difficult to control himself you see…” He says with a tired smile, still finding himself unable to reach Kara’s eyes. “Sometimes his fear makes him do things he…regrets.” 

    Kara’s eyes widen in surprise at their assailant's emotional vulnerability. She finds herself feeling sorry for the man, and understands now that she judged him far too quickly. Granted, he was holding Alice at knifepoint, that was because of this deep fear of outsiders he seems to hold.

    “I think I know a thing or two about that, Ralph,” Kara says with a sad smile. “She motions to the house saying, “Why don’t we talk about it inside?”

    Ralph looks up at her and appears to be very happy that they chose to stay, clasping his arms together in delight. He gives them a big smile, something that Kara finds to be quite absurd as he was just threatening them with a weapon nearly minutes ago. He then walks past them, leading them back to the front door. “Come on!” 

    Alice looks at Kara with fear clear in her face. Kara gives her a comforting hug and leads her around the corner back to Ralph, who currently is engaged with the activity of looking for the keys. “Ralph has lived here ever since he ran away!” He opens the door, holding it open for them. 

    “Ralph doesn’t come outside during the day, so no one else knows he’s here.” 

    Kara notes that Ralph talks with very animated body language, flailing his arms here and there to emphasize what he means. Kara would find this to be amusing if it weren’t for the knife still present in his hands. She keeps her distance as she and Alice enter the house.

    As she walks in, she is hit first with just how dirty this house is. There is grime and mold trailing up the walls, and the wooden stairs look like they are on the verge of collapsing. The floors creak with every step she takes and everything is covered in dust. Alice sneezes.

    Kara does, however, sigh in relief when she sees the fireplace, and she directly leads Alice there to sit down. “Stay here, Alice,” Kara says. “I’ll look for some wood to start a fire.”

    Ralph is still standing by the door, noticeably bouncing with excitement. “Make yourself at home!” He says as if he were a gracious party host and not a homeless squatter. He circles around and walks to the doorframe on the opposite wall by the fireplace. “Ralph is going to go into the other room now,” and with that, he exits into the kitchen area.

    Now alone, Kara sighs, still holding onto Alice. She scans the room for any loose plywood and sees a pile of wooden boards in the corner.  _ Perfect.  _ She starts to walk towards them but is stopped by a hand tugging on her shirt. She looks down and sees that Alice is still shaken about all of this. It seems she doesn’t want to leave Kara’s side. 

    Kara tucks a stray piece of hair behind Alice’s ear and says, “It’s just for one night Alice,” Kara says with a consoling smile. “We’ll be on our way to the serpent’s pass tomorrow,” That seems to comfort Alice a little, as she drops her hand and sits down on the floor. “I’ll be where you can see me.”

_ Right.  _ Kara sighs and gets back to work. Even though they have the luxury of being inside tonight, she needs to start a fire or else they would be freezing. She walks over to the plywood and places it inside the fireplace.  _ Now I need something to light the fire.  _ She looks to the kitchen and sees a stovetop from where she is kneeling down.  _ There might be some flint strikers in there,  _ Kara muses. As she walks into the kitchen she slows down when she sees Ralph, who is carving obsessively into the walls with his knife. She can see phrases such as “NO WAR” and “BA SING SE”, but everything else looks muddled with the sheer amount of carvings on the wall. 

    She walks towards him careful not to startle him. “What do the carvings mean?” SHe asks genuinely. 

    He turns to her and tilts his head in confusion. “What?”

    She motions to the walls. “Why are you writing that?”

    As if he was just noticing them, he looks around and sees that almost every wall is covered in these phrases. He then looks back at the knife in his hand and says with painful truth, “I don’t know.” 

    Kara doesn’t know how to respond so she stays quiet. Ralph then turns back to the wall to continue his carving. She walks away, back to the countertops near the entrance of the room and searches for a flint striker. In one of the cupboards, she finds what she’s looking for. With one last glance at Ralph, she exits the room. 

    She sees Alice huddled in on herself, shivering. Quickly she starts a fire and places a sleeping bag down for Alice.

   “You should sleep, Alice,” Kara says as she finishes putting down the bedroll.

    “He would have killed you if you didn’t.”

    Kara stops what she’s doing and turns to Alice, eyes wide. 

    “What?”

    Alice repeats herself, in a voice smaller than before. “T-todd. He would have killed you if you didn’t.”

    They haven’t spoken about this since it happened. Kara was hoping they wouldn’t have to. It isn’t something that Kara is proud of, but she knows that Alice wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t killed Todd. 

_     I saved Alice, so why do I feel so guilty? _

__ Kara is pulled from her thoughts by the sound of sniffling. Alice is crying. “I-i just don’t understand,” Alice says. She looks at Kara, eyes searching. “Why didn’t he ever love me?”

_ He deserved it. _

__ Kara pulls Alice into a hug, rocking her in a comforting manner. Alice continues to sob as she questions her life before. “I never k-knew why he was so upset with me. I just wanted a life, like-like other girls.” She clings to Kara as she continues to cry.

    “I just wanted a family. Why couldn’t I have a family?”

    Kara’s heart shatters from Alice’s breakdown. “I…I don’t know Alice.”

    Alice looks up at Kara innocently. “You’ll never leave me, right? Promise me you’ll never go.”

    Kara worries her lip and says wholeheartedly, “I promise I will always be with you.”

    That seems to placate Alice’s fears and slowly but surely, she calms down. 

    “You should go to sleep,” Kara says once more, this time laying Alice down in the sleeping bag. She carefully tucks the child under the cover and gently kisses her forehead.  

    Then, Kara lays out her bedroll and drifts off to the sound of distant scraping, and a crackling fire.

* * *

  It takes him 3 days to make the trip back to Jericho and every second he gets closer, the more guilty he feels for abandoning them.  _ They were only trying to protect me,  _ Markus guiltily thinks.  _ I called them liars after they saved my life.  _

__ However, he knows that it’s no use to wallow away so instead, he thinks of what he is going to say when he apologizes to the leaders. He doesn’t know what kind of reception he’s going to get, but the hopes that whatever happens, they will be amicable enough for him to be allowed to help them back to the Northern Air Temple. Markus saw very few people in the short time he was with Jericho, but by the way the ship looked and the exhausted expression of its leaders, he knows the refuge is far from flourishing. These people need help, and if he can’t do this, then he has failed as the Avatar. 

_ “Whoever saves one life, saves the world entirely,” Carl said as he pours cups of tea for the two of them. He smiles at his pupil kindly and offers the drink towards Markus. “As the Avatar, it is your burden to bear to keep the peace between the four elements, as well as balance within the spirit world.” _

_     The old man takes a sip and laughs lightly. “I think if anyone is capable, it’s you my son.” _

__ Markus smiles at the memory and carries on. Finally, at the dawn of the third day, he can make out the outline of the abandoned warship lying idle on the coastline. He takes a deep breath of the cold air to calm himself down. He lands on the deck of the ship and walks towards a doorway that leads downwards towards the holds. He passes by a few people who look lost and dead on their feet. He hasn’t seen any of the leaders but doesn’t want to bother any of these poor souls. He’s running down a hallway when he sees Lucy. 

    “Lucy!” Markus calls out to her.

    She turns and gives him a gentle smile, her eyes still unnerving as ever. “Markus? You have come back. I am glad. I was very sad to hear u left us.”

    He nods and says, “I need to speak with the leaders, please it’s import-

    “Markus?” A voice calls out.

    Markus turns and sees Josh, holding a bundle of driftwood his arms. His expression is shocked and his mouth is agape. “We- I- We thought you weren’t coming back.” He stutters out. 

    Lucy smiles at the two of them and walks away. 

    Markus realizes now that he doesn’t know what to say, even though he has been practicing the entire trip back. Afraid that he will say the wrong thing, he evades the question and asks instead, “Do you need help with that?”

    Josh looks down to the wood he’s carrying. “I, uh, yes any help would be nice, really,” he says as Markus grabs half of the bundle. Josh isn’t going to let this go, however. He leads them to a corridor where there are more people who are sitting around makeshift fire pits. They all look defeated and drained of any hope. Markus' throat goes dry from the sight of them. “Seriously, Markus what happened? We went to wake you up, and you were gone. We should have gone looking for you but-” Josh motions to the people around him. “We had other priorities.” 

    Markus nods. “I understand. I’m sorry about what I said about you guys being liars. I can explain everything to you, but I feel I must apologize to you and the other Jericho leaders first. Do you know where they are?” 

    Josh gives him a small smile. “Yeah, let's ignite some fires and then I’ll take you to them.” They do so, giving the refugees some light in this dark hold of Jericho. As they leave the room, Markus sees the people surround the firepits, basking in its warmth. He smiles.  _ I will do anything I can to help these people.  _

_     As long as they let me. _

__ Josh leads Markus upstairs to another sector of the ship that looks like the Captain's Quarters. Josh motions for Markus to stay out as he peeks inside. Seeing that it’s clear, he opens the door fully for Markus to enter. He sees North is staring out the window, her back facing him. Her body looks tense as she watches the sunrise above the mountains. He looks to his left and sees Simon, passed out in the bed. He snores quietly. 

    Josh clears his throat. “Ahem.” 

    Neither Simon or North look at him, so he tries again, even louder. “AHEM.”

    North visibly sighs and turns around. “What, Josh?” Any snide remark dies on her lips at seeing Markus. Quickly she throws a lone rock at Simons face. He flinches from the impact and sits up, sleep still present in his form. 

    “What the hell..?” Simon says as he rubs his eyes. When he opens them again he is more than surprised to see Markus and any trace of sleep leaves his system. 

    “Markus?” 

    He gives the three leaders a nervous smile. “Hi, again.”

    The two other leaders stay silent, prompting him to continue. 

    “Listen, I’m really sorry for what I said to you three. I see know that you were only trying to protect me from the truth. I…went back home.”

    The three leaders understand the implications of that sentence.

    “Simon, I’m sorry that you were put in that situation. I know that must have been very hard for you and, I can’t blame you for just telling me what I needed to know.” He bows to him. “Thank you. It will be an honor teaching you and North,” he says looking at her with a kind smile, “If you would allow it.”

    Simon looks back at Josh and North, who look back to him and nods. “I think...I think that would be acceptable.” 

    “It would be more than acceptable!” North says, walking towards Markus and giving him a big hug. He is shocked by how strong she is and feels the air escape his lungs.  _ Ow. _

__ She laughs and puts him back down, clasping him on his back. 

    “Yeah, there’s something else too.”

    The three leaders look at him with all their attention.

    Markus takes a deep breath and says, “When I got to the Northern Air Temple, there were people living there. Not Airbenders, but refugees from the war. They are led by a woman named Rose, and the place seems to be doing really well.”

    Josh speaks up. “That’s great news! If we can find some way of communication we can have  defenses against any attacks!”

    “Or we can create a rebellion,” North adds.

    Before they could start to argue Simon says, “I don’t believe Markus was finished.”

    Josh acknowledges that. “Right, carry on.”

    “She says that they have more than enough room for any refugees. I’m not attacking your leadership skills but your people are in desperate need of help, something I think she can give you.”

    North shakes her head. “Markus, you were gone for a week, and you were alone. Most of our people would not be able to survive the trip. It’s too dangerous.” 

    “I know I understand that. She told me that the offer will stand indefinitely, so there’s no rush. I have been thinking of ways I can help your people-

    “ _ Our  _ people. You’re one of us now,” Simon interrupts.

    Markus is surprised just how easy it was for them to forgive him and he nods in gratitude. Simon may not know how much that information has impacted Markus, but he’s thankful all the same.

    “Our people. Right. Simon, you’re a waterbender correct?”

    “I am. I’m not very good at it anymore, but I am.”

    "Perfect. Is there any other waterbenders here?” Markus continues.

    “Two others, why?” Josh asks.

    “I planned a route we as a group can take to the Northern Air Temple. We would travel the coastline by sea, using any spare rafts on the ship that are salvageable. Any that aren’t, we would repair as much as we can.”

    Simon shakes his head in denial. “None of us are trained well enough to make the trip, Markus. What if we’re spotted?”

     “Well, Fire Nation Boats don’t usually come this far up into enemy lines. It would be much safer than if we tried to walk the whole way.” North remarks, considering the idea.

    “Even if we were to do that, we don’t have the necessary supplies to make the trip,” Josh points out dejectedly.

    “I thought of that. While on my trip back I saw something. It was a Fire Nation military base. I lowered my elevation to get a closer look, and it seemed like they have a supply chain running from the south to them. If we can steal a cargo hold we can bring Jericho the help they need. Food, water, medkits; everything.”

    Simon shakes his head. “We can’t just go in there and take what we want. That’s stealing.”

    “From people who stole the lives of millions.” North counters.

    “We don’t have many weapons. And even if we did, none of us are skilled enough in combat to fight Fire Nation Soldiers.” Josh butts in.

    “We can steal what we need without fighting.” Markus counters with an air of finality.

    But Josh isn’t backing down. “We are just going to get ourselves killed!”

    “We are going to die off here if we don’t do something drastic,” Markus responds.

    “I’m with you.”

    The three men look at North, her face determined. She looks to Josh. “Weren’t you the one who said they would do anything to help Jericho?” she pleads to him. 

    “...Maybe it’s worth a try.” Simon says, standing up to Markus. He looks to Josh, and North and Markus do so as well, prompting him for an answer.

    Josh sighs seeing now that he can’t convince the others that this is a bad idea. “...Okay. I’m in.”

    ~~~

    It’s midday now and most of Jericho is asleep. They decided to rob the station tomorrow night, hoping that the dark will give them a sense of cover from the danger ahead of them. Markus is sitting where Simon was, on the dock alone. At least, he  _ thought _ he was alone.

    “Thinking of leaving again?” A voice calls out to him lazily.

    Markus is more than a little startled when he hears it and embarrassed, he stutters out, “N-no! I was just-”

    He’s cut off by laughter. “It’s alright Markus, I was just teasing.”

    It’s Simon, he realizes when he turns around. Simon sits down next to him, resting his head on the railing. 

    Markus calms down and looks to the sky above them. The sun shines overhead through the clouds which cover the sky like white tufts of cotton. The rays of light peak through, casting beautiful glimmers of light on the sea in front of them.

    “I need to thank you, Simon.”

    “You already have.”

    “No this is about something else,” Markus says as he faces Simon.

    Curious, Simon turns away from the sea and towards Markus.

    Markus takes a deep breath. “When...when I saw what the Fire Nation had done-” Markus cuts himself off with a sharp breathe.

    “It’s alright. You don’t have to relive it, Markus,” Simon reassures, trying to calm the other man down.

    “No, it’s fine, you deserve to know this.”

    Simon waits for Markus to continue, patience never wavering.

    Markus looks him in his eyes intensely. “When I saw...I was angry. I wanted to destroy the place, I was so hurt by these acts that I wasn’t thinking straight.”

    Simon looks at him with no judgment.

    “It wasn’t until I remembered what you told me, that I was able to calm down.”

_  Don’t let the anger consume you. _

__ “So thank you, Simon.”

    Simon puts his hand on Markus’ shoulder with a compassionate smile and looks back to the sea. They sit there in a companionable silence until Simon breaks it.

    “I missed being able to just..,” Simon starts.

    “Be free,” Markus finishes for him.

    “It’s been so long.”

    They both stay quiet for a minute, both unsure on what to say. 

    Markus, however, feels he still needs to address something else Simon told him the last time they spoke.

_  I truly do understand why you don’t believe me. _

__ With some hesitation, Markus asks Simon, “...What did you mean, before?”

    Simon looks at him, confused. “I’m sorry?”

_ I went through the same thing. _

__ “Before I left, you said you understood why I didn’t believe you. You said you went through the same thing.”

__ Simon’s throat goes dry. “I uh,” He clears his throat.

    Markus suddenly feels guilty for asking. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. I have no right to ask.”

    Simon shakes his head. “It’s fine! It’s just...I don’t like talking about it.”

    Markus looks back to the sea. “Of course. Just know that If you want to talk about it...I’m here.”

    Simon smiles softly. “Thank you.”

    Instead of sleeping, the two men watch the sea silently once more, basking in each others presence.

* * *

 

_ It’s morning _ , Kara notices as she wakes up. The second she notices is that there’s a roof over her head. She sits up and remembers the night before; her encounter with Ralph, and Alice’s breakdown. She looks to Alice and sees her still asleep form in the bedroll. She smiles and places a kiss on her forehead. Kara then stands up, not wanting to stay in bed any longer. She sees Prince sitting by the supplies, staring straight forwards at the dying fire. She places another piece of wood into the fire pit, giving it a good shake to awaken the flames once more. She then smiles at the little frog and grabs some worms from her supplies to give him for breakfast.  _ We have to catch some more if we don’t want this little guy to starve,  _ she muses. 

    Kara scans the room she’s in and decides to look Ralph. She looks at the stairs and is honestly afraid to even step on them. She takes a deep breath, and runs up the stairs quickly, thanking whatever god above that she didn’t die from the process. She walks down a hallway, glancing in what appears to be bedrooms. On one of the walls is a photo of a man, but the face has been scratched out.  _ I wonder if Ralph did that.  _

    Kara makes it to a bathroom and finds her reflection in the mirror. Her face is dirty, and her white hair is oily and matted down, There is a sink in here and Kara all but sighs with relief. She doesn’t remember the last time she had the luxury of indoor plumbing.  _ Don’t be too hopeful now, Kara,  _ she berates herself.  _ Just look at this place. It’ll be a miracle if the water still worked. _

__ Kara tries the facet and remarkably, water comes out. At first, it is an awful brown liquid that filled with rusted flakes, but soon enough it turns clear enough for Kara to see through. She washes her face, savoring the fresh feel of water on her skin. It is when she’s washing her hair as thoroughly as she can. She sees a pair of scissors lying on the shelf, almost prompting her to cut her hair.  She decides that cutting her hair would help with concealing her identity and cuts it down to a shaggy pixie cut. She smiles at her work and notices something that makes her throat close up behind her in the mirror’s reflection.

    It’s a hand, hanging limply from underneath the curtain of the bathtub. It is a gruesome pale-purplish color. Slowly, Kara builds up the courage to open the curtain. When she does so, she’s met with a corpse of a bearded man, whose mouth is bloodied and being feasted on by maggots and worms. Kara feels sick and immediately runs back downstairs to wake Alice. 

    When she walks into the room she’s met by both Ralph and Alice unfortunately. Ralph is jumping up in down, holding both his knife and what appears to be a dead elephant rat in his hands. Kara blanches visibly at the sight of Ralph.

    Ralph is giggling, hold the carcass up in the air, as if he was proud of it. “Ralph found this to feed family!” He states happily, hysterically laughing. He smiles and Alice then at Kara. 

    He clears his throat. “Ralph wanted to give present...to-to make up for past misunderstandings.” He nods his head in affirmation. Seeing the fire behind him, he squats down and begins to burn the dead animal. “Ralph will cook, family make the table.” He motions to the table in the corner with his knife. 

    “Come! Sit down,” He says with a big smile. He turns back to the fire laughing to himself in delight. He is staring at the burning meat and the smell of burning flesh fills the room.

    Kara tries to keep her face calm and devoid of fear. “That’s...very kind of you Ralph, but we have to leave already.”

    Ralph’s faces them again, and his smile falters, “Go?” He looks at her confused but laughs it off as a joke. “No, no, you will leave once family has breakfast together,” He looks back at Alice, “You know, like you said last night!” He points to himself saying, “The father,” then to Kara, “The mother,” and back to Alice, “and the little girl!”

    Kara advances forwards, refusing to step down. “No, Ralph. We’re leaving now.” She looks at Alice, hands outstretched. “Come on, Alice let’s go.” 

    Wordlessly, Ralph stands up and brings his hand up to stop Alice from moving. The blade at her chest level. His face has turned cold and he hisses, “The little girl is going nowhere.”

     Alice looks at the blade in fear and back to Kara, eyes pleading for help. Kara has to relieve the tension soon or else Ralph might attack again. She attempts to guilt him, and says, “You wouldn’t hurt Alice, would you?” She takes another step closer, arms up in a placating manner. “We’re friends, remember?”

    Ralph looks conflicted and his eyes water up. “No,” he says softly, dropping his arm down. “Ralph doesn’t want to hurt the little girl. Ralph just wants her to eat.” He sniffles, but then frowns. He turns around to the fireplace to see the animal is completely engulfed in flames. “NO!” Ralph exclaims as he pulls out the Elephant rat. It’s no use, however, and he has to stomp out the fire to keep it from spreading to the rest of the house. 

    Ralph looks at the burnt and misshapen corpse of what was supposed to be breakfast and cries. “Ralph…”

    Kara doesn’t know what to say.

    “Ralph just wanted to help little girl find family…”

    “Father, mother, little girl.” He finishes dejectedly. 

    Kara walks up to the man and gently places her hand on his shoulder in comfort. She then points to her bag. Alice goes to grab it and passes it to Kara. “We can still have breakfast, Ralph.” She pulls out some of her dry rations and gives him a wary smile. “Like a family?”

    That cheers him up tremendously and he whoops into the air with glee. “Yes! That’s better!” He hastily grabs some chipped plates from the kitchen and sets the table with the two of them. He makes sure to pull the chairs out for the two of them, like an honest gentleman. Kara smiles at the gesture.  _ He really does try to be kind.  _

_ That doesn’t explain the body upstairs.  _ Kara doesn’t know if she should address it, and she’s about to when they hear a loud knocking on the door.

    All three of them go silent. Ralph squints his eyes in confusion. 

    “Anybody home?” A voice calls out. 

    “Fire Nation, Open up!”

* * *

 

**_2 HOURS EARLIER_ **

    The ship arrived at a portside town early morning to refuel once more. Hank has unofficially decided that now every time they refuel, it is mandatory that he takes Sumo out for a walk. He also made is sure to have some odd reason on why Connor must tag along with him. The prince wasn’t that big of an asshole as everyone made him out to be, and he found himself to enjoy the younger man's company, even though he severely lacked tact in anything that regarded his social skills.

    “I’m actually surprised you are even up at this time, Lieutenant-General. You usually don’t come out of bed until 3’o clock.”

    “Hardy-har-har, very funny your royal shithead. Now, are you coming or not?”

    Connor looks at him from his map and says, “I can’t partake in anything that will distract me from my mission,” he looks back down at the map and says, “But I hope you enjoy your walk.”

    “What if there’s another Fire-Nation traitor that I can’t track down due to my old age?”

    “Lieutenant-General, with all due respect, you have an 800-pound polar-bear dog that is  _ much _ faster than me.”

    “Well, If I remember correctly, smartass, it was  _ you  _ that was actually able to apprehend the bastard, not Sumo.”

    Connor couldn’t argue with that logic so he put his map away and follows the Lieutenant-General into town. The town itself wasn’t marvelous, it was actually quite dirty and run down. People ran when they saw them, and doors and windows shut briskly as they walked by. They didn’t mind the treatment, and If anything, it helped them, as Sumo now wouldn’t be distracted by the general population. He trots down the streets happily, Hank on his backside and Connor directly to his right. 

    They were walking for about 20 minutes when suddenly Hank says, “Woah! Slow your roll for a sec Sumo,” while pulling on his lead, which in turn stops his animal companion from walking any further. 

    Connor looks around, ready to bolt if necessary. “What is it Lieutenant-General? Did you see something?” He brings his arms up in a combat position. 

    Hank drops from Sumo’s back and ties him down to a pole. Connor looks at him in confusion, which quickly morphs into annoyance, as he sees the building they are in front of.  _ THE FROZEN FERRET, _ reads the sign above. He huffs, frustrated. “Lieutenant-General! You can’t be serious.”

    Hank looks at him with mock confusion. “And here I thought you knew me better than that.”

    “It’s 7 in the morning!”

    “I didn’t know you also carried the title of ‘Captian Obvious’, your highness,” Hank says as he walks into the bar. He doesn’t hold the door open for Connor, but he follows him in all the same. When he first enters the bar, no one is there except for someone passed out drunk in the corner. The barkeep is turned around, cleaning glasses. 

    “Sorry, we’re closed until 12, come back-” She turns around, and her eyes widen at the sight to two Fire Nation officials. Immediately, she cowers from them. 

    “He-hello, sirs. Welcome to-”

    “Whiskey. Neat,” Hank interrupts bluntly. 

    She directly goes to get his drink, nodding fervently. “Right away sir!” Before she walks away, she turns to Connor with a nervous look. 

    He smiles tightly. “None for me, thanks.”

    “Of course sir, I’ll get your order right away s-sir!” She grabs the whole whiskey bottle and places it in front of Hank. Then, she runs out a door on the other side of the counter, which probably led to a kitchen area.

    Connor deemed her behavior as suspicious and moved to follow her. He was stopped by Hank who said, “The lady gave me the whole damn bottle of whiskey. I don’t care if she’s the fucking Avatar. We aren’t leavin’ till I finish the wholeee bottle.” Hank says with a grin.

    “You really shouldn’t drink this much recreationally, Lieutenant-General.”

    “Who said anything about this being for fun?” Hank laughs as he takes another swig of the bottle.

    Connor sighs loudly.

~~~

    It takes some convincing but Connor gets Anderson to only take two shots and bring the rest back with them. Anderson isn’t happy about it but agrees.

    “Besides,” Connor says as they exit the bar, “Weren’t you the one who said we should be on the lookout for any traitors? How could I do that if I’m babysitting you?” Connor asks, feigning innocence.

    Hank looks back at him in surprise. “Was that mockery, Connor?”

    Connor ignores him and instead unties Sumo from the pole Hank tied him to. They walk the empty streets of this Earth Kingdom village together back to the ship. 

    They are on the edge of town when they hear a loud “NO!” and muffled thumping. Both Connor and Hank look at each other in confusion. Connor scans the area, but the only place it could have possibly come from was a dingy old house that had half of its roof collapsed. Connor is about to let it go when he sees smoke coming from the chimney.  _ There are people living in  _ **_that_ ** _?  _ He asks himself in surprise. 

    Connor turns to the older man. “Stay here. If anyone runs, you can catch them on Sumo.” Connor says as he runs to the house before Hank can interject. 

    As he gets closer, he can see just how old this house really is. Every window is covered with wood, blocking him from getting a clear view of what’s going on inside. He decides to knock on the door, whose hinges groans in protest from his pounding.

    “Anybody home?” He calls out. No one responds.  _ No one will take you seriously if you aren’t a stern leader, Connor,  _ Amanda’s voice rings through his head. He tries again, yelling, “Fire Nation, Open Up!”

    He still hears nothing, so he tries the door handle. Surprisingly, the door is unlocked, allowing him entrance to the abandoned house. As he steps into the threshold, he sees two things that admittedly disturb him. First is the burnt animal carcass on the floor that has been smashed until it was almost flat. The second is the man standing in the center of the room, brandishing a knife. The entire left side of his face looks like it has been severely burned and he keeps fidgeting in his place, making Connor wary. 

    “Hello? I was walking by when I heard a disturbance come from this house,” Connor says, taking a step towards the man. “Is everything alright?” 

    The man shakes his head.

    “So there’s something wrong?” Connor asks.

    The man’s eyes widen and he says, “No! Everything is fine. Ralph was just making breakfast.”

    Connor looks at the table and sees that it is set for three people. “You live with other people?”

    “No! Ralph is alone.” He says panicked.

_ He’s lying.  _

__ Connor begins the search the first floor. He peers into the kitchen and sees that an obsessive writing as taken over all the walls in there. Frowning, he exits. As he gets closer to the stairs, he sees Ralph getting more and more anxious. He looks up the stairs. “Is there anyone upstairs?”

    Ralph shakes his head. “No. Nobody.”

_ He’s telling the truth. _

__ Still, Ralph looks agitated the closer he got to the stairs, so maybe underneath..?

    Connor goes to check but before he makes any discoveries, he’s grabbed from behind by Ralph. “Run, Kara!” He yells and two figures go running by, out the kitchen exit. 

    Connor finally breaks free from Ralphs grasp and elbows him right in the nose. He sprints out the front door, yelling, “LIEUTENANT-GENERAL! THEY WENT OUT THE BACK!” 

    Sumo comes racing towards him, and Hank shoots his arm out for Connor to grab as he passes by, pulling him onto Sumo’s saddle. They chase after the two into the woods until they are stopped by a riverbed. The water is rushing past at high speeds, and it would be impossible to swim across. The woman puts the child behind her, and she sees the Fire Nation officers have her cornered. She has nowhere to go.   

    Connor jumps off Sumo’s back and walks to her. “Kara...was it?” He says, keeping a defensive pose. This woman had no reason to run, why did she? “I have no reason to suspect that you are a criminal, but other than the fact that you attempted to flee from Fire Nation Officials. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t arrest you right now.”

    The woman sighs in defeat, slumping her shoulders. She says nothing and proceeds to move her hands up in a surrendering manner.

    Connor tilts his head. “I take it that you won’t fight. I thank you for your cooperation,” Connor states as he walks over to her. 

    Kara, however, wasn’t giving up so easily. Now sure that Connor wouldn’t suspect anything, she attacked. She waved her arms forward and pushed a wave of water towards Connor, freezing his feet to the ground. He looked down in shock and shot out blue flames from his palms to melt the ice. Kara looked around and saw the older man now dismounting from his polar bear dog, looking ready to attack. She looked around panicked that there wasn’t an escape route, not this time.

    Her eyes fell to the stream, who’s wild currents splashed loudly in her ears. Kara closed her eyes to concentrate and pushed her hands forwards towards the other side of the river. When she opened her eyes she sees that she has made an ice bridge. Quickly she grabs Alice's hands and begins to run her across. The river is quite wide, looks to be almost 50 feet, and Alice and Kara have to run across a bridge of thin ice to the other side if they wish to see another day.

    Connor by now has freed himself from the ice shackles and begins to run after them when a hand grabs the back of his uniform. “Holy fuck! Where do you think you’re goin’?”  

     Connor tries to free himself from Hanks grip but it’s no use. “I can't let them get away! Let go!”

    “Just look at it, Connor, that river is fucking insane they won’t make it to the other side,” Hank says letting go of Connor’s shirt.

    Connor begins to run after them again. “I can’t take that chance!”

    Hank gets angry at Connor’s insistence and yells, “Hey! You will get yourself killed! Do  **_NOT_ ** go after them, Connor, that’s an order!”

    Connor looks conflicted but decides to ignore the older man’s demands. He dashes down the bridge, shooting vibrant blue flames from his hands at the pair. He distantly hears Hank say something along the lines of, “CONNOR WHA- ah fucking dammit,” until he’s out of hearing range. As he runs down the bridge, he can tell that it is straining from his additional weight and speed, not to mention the fact that it is weakening from the flames he’s throwing out. He reaches Kara at the mid-way point and grabs her from behind. The little girl screams in fear. Kara and Connor struggle against each other and against the slippery floor, both fighting for the upper hand. Connor makes a fatal mistake of trying to kick Kara, making him lose his balance and fall off the side of the bridge. He tries to stand up in the water, but the current is too strong, and it sweeps him away from the runaways. All he see’s around him is dark water and his head keeps dipping underneath the surface due to the strong currents. He is scrambling for any purchase and would have sighed with relief when he manages to hold onto a rock if it weren’t for the fact that he needs all the air he can get right now. He looks around and see’s that the current has pulled him far from his initial plunge. He sees Sumo and Hank running down river to him, rope in Hanks' hand to pull the prince to safety. Hank looks worried, in his own angry way as he pulls Connor out of the water.  _ C-cold.  _ Connor thinks to himself.

    Connor looks down and the riverbed, angry at himself, “Sorry, I should have been better. I made a stupid mistake which resulted in their escape.” 

    Hank shakes his head, eyes furious. “That’s not what I’m mad about! You disobeyed a direct order which almost ended your  _ life _ , Connor! What if you died out there?” 

    Connor looked at the Lieutenant-General with confusion. “Then I would have died doing my job. What I’m supposed to be doing.” Connor counters.

    Hank looks at him disbelieving. He sighs and says, “Kid, the mission should never be worth more than your life.” 

    Connor looks at him coldly and says, “With all due respect, Lieutenant-General, but it’s my honor on the line here. If I don’t do everything possible to restore it, then I don’t deserve it,” He walks back the way they came, leaving Hank to wonder if he should respect Connor even more than he already does, or worry about his well being.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is going to be flash backs mainly just as a heads up bc i wanna write about leo, and colin and richard and shit. If flashbacks arent ur cup of tea just come back in two weeks. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Hope u have a good rest of your day :D


	6. Doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She remembers the day it happened, quite vividly. She remembers the screams even more so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm so excited about this chapter because i finally get to write about characters in the fic aside of the main ones! Hell yeah man I cant wait for you guys to read this I just love Chloe so much and really wanted her in this fic.   
> ANyways sorry about Kara's chapter being so short in comparison but I kinda wrote it similar to something I experienced?? It seemed right to make it from Alice's perspective bc as a Kid you don't know whats really going on and now im rambling jesus
> 
> I finished some costume designs for the connor crew which u can see right here!!   
> https://sugarskullz.tumblr.com/post/179462549687/part-two-of-thissss-hell-yeah-yall-idk-what-the
> 
> anyways hell yeah hoped u enjoyed its currently 1 am and i have no clue if the chapter is legible good luck
> 
> elements of new characters  
> Leo- none  
> Conrad- fire  
> Richard (Nines)- none  
> Chloe-none
> 
> leave a kudos if u liked!

     The sun is high in the sky on the day of the raid, and most of Jericho is asleep, Markus included. His face pinches and he turns restlessly in his sleep, plagued not by nightmares, but memories. 

~~~

    His eyes are closed, but he knows where he is. The sound of birds singing in the distance, the way air whips around him filled with energy; He’s home. He opens his eyes and looks around. The Gazebo he is meditating in is placed at the edge of the southwestern garden. He sees other airbenders, mainly children, playing in the grass fields as warm light shines down on them. They smile and wave frantically when they notice his gaze upon them. He smiles and waves back at them. He hears a laugh.

    Carl is sitting in front of him with eyes still closed. “Avatar Markus, are you slacking off during meditation?” Carl can’t keep the smile off his face. 

    Markus doesn’t know how the older man seems to notice his every move, and frankly, he doesn’t think he  _ wants  _ to know. Quickly, he gets back to position, back pin straight, shoulders squared, and face emotionless. He sits there like that for less than a minute, then peeks on eye open at Carl. He sees the old man barely holding in laughter. 

    “15 years. You’ve known you’re the Avatar for 15 years now, and in that time, you have mastered both airbending and the Avatar state.” Carl shakes his head amiably. “But don’t think for a second, that you could ever fool me. Come, I think we had enough meditation today.” He says holding his arms up. Markus stands up and grabs Carl, holding him in bridal style in his arms. He walks over to Carl’s wheelchair and gently places the old man in it. 

    “How do you like the sound of some soothing jasmine tea?” Carl asks Markus. 

    Markus smiles and says, “I’d like that very much.”

~~~

    They are in Carl’s personal quarters, one of Markus’ favorite places to be. As one of the head monks, Carl has been given a larger room to call his own. The main room has high ceilings, which the old man has used to his advantage. Every wall is covered in paintings done by Carl, beautiful abstractions of his own imagination. Connected to the ceilings are complex pulley systems that Carl uses to paint larger canvases for the temple’s common rooms. In the corner is one of these larger canvases, covered partly by a large sheet. Markus sees glimpses of blue from behind the tarp.

    “Help me out, will you, Avatar?” Carl asks him. Markus picks him up and sets him down on a seat connected to the pulley system. Then he goes to the wall and hoists the man up to his desired height. As Markus exits the room to make tea, he hears Carl faintly say, “Let’s see where we left off…”

    He walks into the kitchen connected to the main room and puts some water to boil. Then, he opens the cupboards and places two mugs on a tray. He likes tea, he enjoys creating blends in his own time. Recently he experimented with lavender, lemon, and chamomile. He enjoyed it’s unique taste thoroughly and wrote down the recipe in his personal journal.  The high whine of the kettle grows louder, and Markus thinks is safe to say that the water has reached a boil. He pours the water, placing two tea bags in the mugs and walks into the main room.

    When he walks in his is floored by this new piece that Carl is working on. He stares at it for a bit in awe. The entire canvas is painted with delicate shades of blue, a pigment so vibrant that Markus is sure the painting is glowing. The figure of a man’s face is painted on as well, his mouth pursed together with a sternness Markus can’t seem to comprehend.

    Carl moves to paint one last stroke but pulls away with a heavy sigh of resignation. He looks down to Markus. “Well? What’s your verdict, Avatar Markus?”

    Markus is studying the painting with careful eyes. He likes painting, but he always enjoyed watching his mentor do so. “Yes...there is something about it,” He starts to say. He walks over to the pulley systems and lowers Carl down, never taking his eyes off the commission. “Something I can’t…quite define.” 

    Carl hums in agreement. He lifts his hands up as Markus walks back towards him, and is placed carefully back into his wheelchair. Markus still hasn’t taken his eyes off the painting.

    He tilts his head to the side with a shrug. “I guess I like it.”

    Carl sighs again. “The truth is I have nothing left to say anymore,” He looks down the ground. 

   Markus looks at him with a confused expression.

    “I’ve taught you all I am capable of teaching you about Airbending and the spirit world. With each day, I am getting closer to the end,” Carl places a frail hand on the painting. “And now, I am nothing but an old man who clings to his brushes.”

    Markus looks at him with a sad expression. “Carl…”

    Before he can go on, the old man turns and smiles at him. “But enough about me...let’s see what you can do,” Carl grabs the brush and paints on the table set aside him and places it in the younger man’s hands. Carl then sees the mugs and grabs a cup for himself, smiling. 

    Markus, seeing that he can’t escape this, looks for a clean canvas. He sees one and places it on an easel beside the door. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Then he paints.

    “No.”

    Markus hasn’t painted anything more than one stroke before he’s stopped. He looks at Carl again in confusion. “No?”

    Carl shakes his head. “Yes,  _ no _ . I want you to paint with your heart in it, Markus. Painting is about expression, what you feel, whether it is abstract or concrete, you owe the piece a sense of purpose,” He sips at his tea. “Show me what you see.”

    Markus stares at the canvas.  _ Show me what you see. How do I feel?  _ Markus asks himself. As the Avatar, it is his duty to bring balance to both the physical and spirit world. After the death of Avatar Kamski, the Fire Nation has grown to be aggressive and colder, as ironic as that seems, to the rest of the world. They recently closed their borders to any tourists, and have sunken into isolation. He doesn’t know what it means but as the diplomat of the world, he hopes to help them any way he can. His training is very limited as the Avatar, something he is quite ashamed of. He hasn’t mastered all four elements yet, only airbending. Carl says that every avatar is different, and he should be proud of what he has already accomplished. He was quick to learn when it came to finding the spirit world and had mastered the Avatar state by the time he was 22. That doesn’t do anything to calm his mind.  _ I have...doubts,  _ he thinks to himself.  _ What if I’m not good enough? _

    They spend the rest of the day in that room, Markus painting as Carl watches from his chair. By the time the sun has just set, Markus feels that the painting is finished. He looks at it with soft eyes. He stuck with a blue monochromatic color scheme. It’s a self-portrait, but his face is covered by his hands. His tattoos are glowing, and he is crying. 

    “Oh my god,” Carl says in amazement. His eyes are furrowed with worry. Slowly, he rolls on over to Markus and places a hand oh his forearm. “I think it’s best if we talked about this tomorrow, don’t you?” Carl says softly. Markus nods his head. He looks to the mug of tea he never drank and laughs silently to himself. “I’ll…I’ll see you tomorrow, Carl.”

    “See you tomorrow, Avatar.” 

~~~

    He’s walking by himself down a dark corridor when he hears some laughter at an intersection. He thinks he recognizes one of the voices so he goes to follow it off his trail to his room. As he’s walking the light only grows dimmer until he’s back outside on a balcony. It’s a semi-circle, which views the mountain range below them. It’s near dusk and Markus could only faintly make out the peaks of the mountains right now. He does, however, see a group of 3 people, huddled in a circle. More laughter escapes them. Curious, he walks over to them. 

    “What’s so funny?” He calls out to the group with a perplexed smile. 

    Three heads shoot up and pale as they see the Avatar before them. Markus knows now why he recognized a voice. It’s two airbenders he hasn’t seen before and Leo,  Carl’s son. 

    Leo and Markus have a… complicated relationship. Leo is not a bender, something he was sensitive about when he was younger and was always a delinquent in the eyes of the head monks. He and Markus grew up together with the other air nomads and were forced even more so when Carl was tasked as Markus airbending teacher. Leo was angry when he heard this, and accused his dad of replacing him with the Avatar. They don’t talk a lot as it always leads to a fight as Leo doesn’t know when to stop. Leo fiercely hates Markus, something that hurts the Avatar immensely. He finds it pitiful that he is supposed to help bring balance to the world, but he can’t even bring balance to his personal life.

    “No one needs your diplomatic skills here, Markus. Leave before I kick your ass,” Leo sneers at him. 

    The two others still look very frightened and Markus notices that they suspiciously are all holding their hands behind their back as if trying to conceal something. He walks even closer, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. “What are you hiding?”

    Leo’s face amazedly grows even angrier, and he yells back at him, “What are you, deaf? Get out of here!” He turns his back on Markus and continues doing whatever was making the three of them laugh. Markus walks on over to him and yanks Leo to face him. Markus’ throat feels like it closes up when he sees that in Leo’s hands are packets of red ice. Markus snatches it.

    “Where did you get this?!?” He yells in his face. He’s so angry and disappointed. Leo tries to grab it but Markus holds it out of his reach. 

    “Give it back, asshole!” 

    The two others look between the two brothers, not wanting to intervene. 

    Markus asks him again, calmer but not any less disappointed, “Where did you get, Leo?” 

    Leo laughs at him. “What? You’re gonna pretend that you care now, Markus? Is that what you’re gonna do?” Leo pushes him. “What, l-like how you didn’t steal my fucking dad from me?” He grabs the glider that Markus is holding in his other hand and throws it to the other side of the balcony. “Was I not good enough?” He gets into Markus’ face. “Not all of us can be the  **_FUCKING AVATAR_ ** .” He yells again.

    Markus looks at him, eyes pleading. “Come on, be reasonable about this, Leo. Just tell me where you got this.”

    “Oh get fucked!” Leo yells as he reaches for the red ice once more. 

    Markus is tired of this and throws it over the balcony. 

    That seems to be the tipping point for Leo and he pushes Markus to the railing, harshly. “Come, on! Let’s see what you got!” He steps back and cockily looks over to his friends. “Coward won’t do shit.” 

    Markus recovers and steps back from the edge, towards Leo. They circle each other a bit, and Leo taunts him, yelling, “What’re you waiting for!? Go ahead! Hit me!”

_ Don’t antagonize him. _

    When Markus does nothing, he runs at him, pushing him again. “What’s the matter too much of a pussy?”

_ This… isn’t fair. _

__ He’s back in Markus’ face again, ugly grin filled with hate plastered onto his face. “Too scared to fight back, you fucking bitch?” He slaps Markus in the face, laughing.

    Markus falls to the floor, panting to calm himself down. 

_ Calm down, calm down, calm dow- _

__ He sees shoes in his peripheral vision. “Oh, that’s right…I forgot!” Leo laugh is high and full of sarcasm. He kicks down onto Markus in the back, causing the Avatar to grunt in pain as his arms are knocked out from underneath him. “You’re the Avatar! You’re peace reincarnated!”

_ St ay cal m  sTay c alm st- _

     “You! Won’t! Do! Shit!” With every word, Markus feels pain sear through his chest as Leo kicks him. Leo goes to kick him again when his foot is grabbed out of its momentum with excruciating force. He looks down in confusion, then in horror as he sees Markus’ tattoos are glowing a blinding  _ white.  _

__ The wind picks up around them and Leo sees his friends have bolted from this area. Around him, the chair and tables fly around, and he tries to escape Markus’ hold on his foot. 

    Markus looks at him with seething anger, something that Leo notices as an emotion he’s never seen on the Avatar’s face. Slowly Markus rises, his hand never wavering as he comes to his full height. Leo has to balance himself on one leg not to fall over. 

    He’s scared.

    With a swipe of his left arm, Markus calls his glider to his hand and uses it to send Leo flying, flying until he’s off the balcony and-

    A scream rips him from his anger. The chairs and tables fall, and with them, so does Markus’ stomach. He looks around and sees the devastation. Leo is nowhere in sight. He runs to the edge of the balcony and jumps off into the clouds. 

    He the night sky is thick with fog and Markus can’t see his hands, nevermind Leo. He is still falling, looking around frantically for his brother before he hits the ground. He pulls his glider out and forces himself to move faster,  _ faster I need to find him please I’m sorry I didn’t mean to- _

    Markus wakes with a start, sweaty and panting for air. It’s becoming a habit, waking up like that. Disorientated he calls out weakly, saying, “Carl?”

     But his vision clears and he sees he’s not in the Temple. He’s on Jericho, in his room. He hears a knock at his door and frowns, wondering if that’s what woke him up.

    “Markus? It’s time we gotta go!” He hears North’s muffled yell from behind the rusted door.

_ Right. It’s time to go.  _ Markus sighs, composes himself and opens the door.

    It’s the day of the raid.

* * *

 

    The sun is unusually hot this November morning. It’s midday and the crewmen of Connor’s ship are tired and exhausted. On the deck, Connor is training, while Hank and Sumo eat their lunch in the shade.

    A yell of frustration clips through the air.

    “Damn it!” He hits the metal floor in anger. “Again,” Connor sighs. The guard nods in affirmation and gets into position once more. She stalks on towards Connor, casting a single shot of fire towards him. Connor shifts his weight to duck underneath the blast of the firebender. She then jumps forward to aim a blast at his feet. Connor anticipates this and propels himself out of the way. He twists around in mid-air and directs another fire blast with his hand to the guard only to be hit-

    He falls to the floor again. He hears a hearty laughter. “You’re doing good, Connor!” He hears the Lieutenant-General call out to him. He looks over to Hank and glares. The older man laughs again, then sits up from his chair, leaving his food at the mercy of Sumo. He walks on over to Connor, giving him a hand. Connor takes it and yells at the guard once more, “Again!”

    “Woah, woah slow your roll, kid,” Hank says as he grabs Connor’s shoulder.  “Look, the power in firebending comes from the breath,” to emphasize his words, he takes a deep breath, moving his hands up in front of him to indicate the breathing motion. “Not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire,” to signify this technique, Hank pushes a blast of hot flames up at the air.

    Connor nods in acknowledgment of Hanks words. Hank turns him back to the guard. “Now get it right this time,” Hank says, swatting the back of the younger man’s head.

    Connor takes a deep breath to concentrate.  _ Power in firebending comes from the breath.  _

    “Again,” He calls out to the guard, this time much more relaxed. The guard gets back into position to start the drill again. Blast of flames, duck. Blast of flames, jump out of the way. He’s off the ground now, and he twists around in mid-air, and- 

_ Breathe. _

__    He directs another fire blast with his hand to the firebender, landing to her left, then side-sweeping her off her feet. She falls and Connor is above her in a position ready to strike. He instead helps her to her feet.

    “Thank you,” He says bowing to her slightly. “You may now go back to your duties.”

    She bows back and walks back inside. 

    Connor picks up his towel and wipes his sweaty face. He hears a faint clapping coming from Hank. He walks on over to him, deciding that training can be cut early today. He pulls out a chair frowning at Sumo, who’s eating Hanks lunch.

    He looks back at Hank.

    “I was going to thank you for your knowledge but now I am more concerned about you and Sumo’s eating habits. Do you regularly feed him your scraps?” Connor is frowning in concern.

    “You’re Welcome,” Hank says bitterly. Whether it was to Connor for the tip or to Sumo for his food, Connor couldn’t tell. Sumo swallows the last bit of the roasted duck and panted happily tail wagging from his delicious meal. 

    Slowly, Connor moved to pet the polar-bear dog. When he finally makes contact, Sumo leans into his hand, greedy for more pets. Connor moved off his chair and onto to floor, happily giving the hulking figure more pets. He smiles warmly at the dog. “It’s funny, I wasn’t really allowed to have pets at the palace.”

     Hank raises his eyebrows in surprise. This is the first time Connor has opened up about life before his exilement. “Really? Coulda fooled me with how ur treating my dog. At this rate, he’s gonna love you more than he loves me.”

    Connor smiles at that and he scratches behind Sumo’s ear, causing the dog to shake his leg in enjoyment. He laughs at the motion. “I think I like dogs.”

    After a while, Sumo seems to drift off to sleep and Connor ceases his endless petting. When he pulls his hand away, he’s a little grossed out to see that it’s covered in fur. He wipes his hand on his pants as Hank laughs at him. He sits back into his chair looking out to the sea. 

    “I..I miss it.”

    Hank looks at him confused. “Beg your pardon?”

    Connor looks at him and clarifies, “I miss home.”

    Hank waves his hands at the young man. “Course you do! We’ve only been gone for like what 2 weeks? It’s natural to miss it.”

    “No..I think it’s barely sinking in that...that I can’t just go back. That the last time I saw my brothers might be the last time I saw my brothers.”

    Hank tilts his head in confusion and frowns. He studies Connor’s face and sees actual sadness in Connor’s face. He sighs. “Connor, from when I first met you I thought you weren’t capable of emotion. I’ve seen you and your brothers before, at meetings and shit, and let me tell you- it was,” Hank stumbles for non-insulting word, “unnerving, to say the least.”

    Connor lets out a huff of air. “It’s not like I haven’t heard worse Lieutenant-General.”

    Hank backtracks and says, “What I’m trying to say is, ‘Were you close?’ You and your brothers I mean.” He takes a sip of his whiskey and continues to inspect Connor for a reaction.

    The prince looks down to the floor, eyebrows pinched in thought. 

    “We used to be.”  

~~~

    He’s looking down at a water’s surface. He sees a hand reach out to the water, palm filled with breadcrumbs. Four baby turtle-ducks swim happily over and eat from the hand. Connor looks up to her. It’s Chloe, one of the many servants of the royal palace. Connor likes her. She’s nice and pretty and always spends her break with the young prince. 

    He smiles at her with genuine happiness. “Hey Chloe, wanna see how Conrad feeds turtle-ducks?” Before she can answer, Connor throws the rest of his loaf at one of the babies, making it squawk in pain. 

    Shocked, Chloe exclaims, “Connor! Why would you do that?” She frowns at the little boy with genuine betrayal in her eyes.

    The baby’s head peaks back up from where it was submerged and swims away from them towards a much larger turtle-duck, a mother. The mother charges at Connor and bites down on his ankle, hard. Connor whines in pain. “Ow ow ow!” 

    Chloe helps him escape the mother's grip and gently places her back in the water. 

    Connor wipes a tear from his cheek. “Dumb turtle-duck. Why did she do that?” 

    Chloe smiles at him softly, wiping another tear off his face. “That's what moms are like,” she sighs as she pulls Connor to his feet. “If you mess with their babies,” she says as she playfully brings her arms up to tickle Connor, “they're gonna bite you back!”

    Connor laughs at the sudden onslaught of tickles and tries to escape from Chloe’s grasp. Chloe stops tickling him and takes his hand into hers. 

    The walk on the path of the royal garden, Connor pointing out the scientific names of everything they are passing as Chloe listens. Recently, she had bought him a botanical book after she saw him reading from a classification book on animals. He loved it immensely, and thanked her greatly, even though the same book was in the Palace’s Library. This was his, and it was his to keep.     

    “A-and that there is a Maple Bonsai Tree!  _ Acer Palmatum!” _

__ “Very nice, Connor.” _ Such a bright you boy,  _ She thought to herself.

    Connor likes talking to Chloe. He doesn’t have to worry about his training or any of his studies. They just talk about whatever he likes and whatever she likes.

    “Connor! You shouldn’t keep the servants from their work!”

    Connor turns to where he heard a voice call out to him. He sees his brothers and Gavin playing by the river and the main fountain. He frowns at Conrad and says, “This is my friend Chloe, and she’s on break!”

    Chloe lets go of Connor’s hand. “Actually Connor, your brother’s right. I should get back to work,” She smiles at him sweetly and says, “Go on, play with your brothers. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

    He looks up at her, eyes wide. “Same time?”

    She nods at him. “Same time.”

    With that, she leaves the royal princes and goes back inside. Conrad squints at her in suspicion.

    Connor looks to his friends. He sees Conrad and Gavin doing flips at different success rates while Richard sits and reads from a book under the shade of a tree. He decides to join his youngest brother and sits down next to him. “What are you reading, Nines?”

    He doesn’t seem to register that Connor is next to him. Confused, Connor frowns at his brother and notices that Nines isn’t looking down at the pages at all. Connor follows his eyes, only to find himself looking back at Conrad and Gavin. He sees Conrad trying to do a complicated flip but he messes up the ending and falls to the floor. Gavin does the same flip, only he actually completes the ending perfectly and lands on his feet, arms proudly up in the air. Nines blushes.

    Connor’s eyes widen at the realization that Nines has a crush, on  _ Gavin  _ no less. He shakes his brother who in turn blinks back into reality. “Oh, hi, Connor.”

    Connor laughs, bringing the attention of both Conrad and Gavin back towards them. Gavin walks on towards the two, making Nines blush and turn his face away. He sits down next to them and says hi to the two princes. Connor smiles at him and calls for Conrad to join them. His younger brother comes on over and makes sure to push Gavin as he sits down. 

    “What the-? Hey!” Gavin exclaims as he falls over. Conrad laughs.

    “Don’t push him!” Nines frowns at his brother. He gives Gavin a hand, and even though it’s unnecessary, Gavin takes it with a smile. “T-thanks.”

    Conrad looks between the two boys and smiles deviously. “Hey, Connor? Can you actually come here for a second?” He stands up and drags Connor away from the tree before his older brother can answer. 

    “Wa-wait!” 

    “Tell me about the boring trees!” Conrad yelled, making sure Richard and Gavin hear him.

    “They aren’t boring! Let me go!” Connor yelled back, pulling his arm away. 

    Conrad turns him around. “Connor I know that I’m better than you in every way possible, but I know that you’re not  _ too _ dimwitted to see that Nines is crushing hard on Gavin.”

    Connor decides to let the insult go and says,“...Your point?”

    “Do you wanna help them or not?”

~~~

    “Let’s play a game!” Conrad yells excitedly as he walks back to the boys sitting underneath the tree. 

    Connor pulls his brother back, whispering, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

    “It’ll work, I promise!”

    “That doesn’t answer my question!” Connor whispers back, kicking his brother.

    Before the fight could escalate, they are interrupted by Gavin, who seems, if anything, interested. “Game?” he asks, wanting them to clarify.

    Conrad kicks Connor back before continuing. “Yes! It goes like this; Come here Gavin, you first!” He places the boy by the riverbed and then grabs an apple from a tree, placing it on Gavin's head. “Now, what we have to do is try to knock the apple off Gavin’s head, like this,” Conrad shoots a small jet of flame to the apple with his firebending and knowingly sets it on fire. Gavin doesn’t seem to notice. He frowns at Nines scared expression.

         “Did the apple fall-OOF” He’s interrupted as Nines slams into the boy, causing them both to fall into the water below. Both are absolutely drenched and look to be very embarrassed. Conrad laughs at them.

    Proudly he tells Connor, “See? I told you it would work!”

    Connor looks at him confused. “That’s...that’s not what-”

    Nines pulls himself from out of the water, looking at his brothers with both anger and embarrassment. “You guys are such jerks!” He stomps off to the Palace. 

    Connor looks back at Conrad angrily. The younger brother shrugs and walks away.

    Connor follows Nines hurriedly. “Nines, wait up!” 

    He doesn’t seem to hear his brother, or if he does, he decides to ignore him.

    “Wait! Richard!”

    He makes it back inside before Connor catches up to him. “I said leave me alone, Connor,” he looks back at him, repeating himself.  

    “Please let me explain- I didn’t know that's was Conrad had planned!” Connor pleads.

    Nines stops walking at his words and sighs. “I’ll admit, that was way too mean for you to do willingly.” 

    “I only wanted to help.”

    Nines relents and rolls his eyes. “Fine, I forgive you,” He smiles slyly and raises his arms, “But only if you give your baby brother a hug.” Nines is still dripping from his unwilling plunge into the river.

    Connor backs up slowly and says, “On second thought, maybe I’ll just-hey!” Connor is cut off by Nines, who is now squeezing him tight in his arms.

    Nines is laughing as Connor tries desperately to escape his brothers hold, struggling uselessly. 

    “Come on Nines! I said I was sorry!” The damage is already done, however, and Connor is now wet as well. Not drenched, per say, but Chloe will definitely not be happy.

     Unbeknownst to the brothers, Conrad and Gavin are listening in from the other side of the wall. They hear the telltale sound of wet footsteps walking away and they know that they are alone.

    “What did Connor mean when he said he wanted to help?” Gavin asks Conrad suspiciously. 

    Conrad ignores him and instead walks back inside.

    “H-hey! You big dummy! You better be going to get me a towel!” Gavin calls out after him. He doesn’t get a response but still calls out to Conrad again, yelling, “And don’t think that I forgive you or anything!”

~~~

    It’s the next day and Connor is late to meeting Chloe for lunch. He tried looking for his book to read with her this afternoon, but couldn’t find it anywhere. Deciding that he can just look for it later, he runs to their usual spot, only to stop short when he sees Conrad instead.

    His eyes widen in shock when he sees that Conrad also has  _ his book  _ and is tearing out pages.

    He runs at him yelling, “What are you doing?!?”

    Conrad looks at him bored. “What does it look like stupid? I’m doing origami,” he says as if it were obvious. He holds an origami bird in his hands, studying it. “I don’t like this one,” Conrad says matter of factly, and crumbles it in his hands and throws it into the water in front of them. The baby-turtle ducks pick at it shortly and then decide to leave it alone after coming to the conclusion that it’s not food.

    “Stop!” Connor cries as he tries to pull the book from Conrad's grip. “That’s a gift from Chloe!”

    His younger brother only laughs and says, “It’s not like you’ll ever see her again.”

    Connor looks at his younger brother in confusion. “I’m sorry?”

    “No one has seen her since yesterday,” Conrad pulls another page out to Connor’s dismay. “Maybe she got killed or something.”

    “That’s not funny, Conrad! You’re sick,” Connor says, tears threatening to spill. “Give me my book back!”

    “Who’s going to make me? The house servant?”

    Connor this time fails to keep his tears from falling and runs back inside. He passes by a concerned Nines but doesn’t stop when he hears his brother call out to him. 

    “Chloe?!” He yells for her, searching every room, but it’s no use; she is not here.

_ She’s gone.  _

_     She can’t be.  _

_     But she is. _

    Connor can tell that he’s hyperventilating but he can’t stop crying. He tries reasoning to himself and tells himself that Conrad is lying like he always does. Conrad is lying. Conrad is lying. Conrad is lying. Conrad is lying. Conrad is lying. Conrad is lying. Conrad is lying. Conrad is lyin- 

    “Connor? You alright there buddy?”

    Connor looks up and sees Hank, the glass of whiskey now empty and sitting on the table between them. Hank has an unreadable expression on his face. Connor nods and repeats himself, saying with more finality, “We used to be.”  

* * *

 

    Kara, Alice, and Prince have been traveling the backwoods once more, this time heading East, towards the Serpent’s pass as the lady in the inn had instructed. Kara know that this could very well be a trap, but she has nothing else to go by, and if this Zlatko man can bring Alice to safety, then she has to try. Lately, her arm has been feeling more and more weak, giving out underneath the stress of the journey more and more often. 

    They are in a small town, enjoying the day’s rest when Kara hisses in pain, dropping her bag unceremoniously onto the ground with a heavy thud. Alice hurriedly picks up the bag and puts some of the supplies in her own, in an attempt to make Kara’s bag lighter.

    “Alice, stop. It’s fine.”

    “No, it’s not! Let me help you,” She says as she keeps putting more supplies into her bag. 

    Before Kara can try to stop her, the bag is on Alice back and she’s picking up Kara’s to give back to her. Admittedly the pack is lighter, and her shoulder isn’t screaming in protest as it was a few moments before.

    A merchant coos at them in genuine fondness. “You have such a thoughtful daughter, Miss,” She says as they pass by. “Such a kind soul.”

    Alice blushes at the compliment and hides behind Kara shyly. Both the merchant and Kara laugh.

    In truth, Alice feels...guilty. As stupid as it sounds, she feels that Kara’s injury was somehow her fault. She remembers the day it happened, quite vividly. She remembers the screams even more so.

~~~

    It’s her birthday. She is turning eight, and Kara has made a cake just for her, and topped it with purple icing, her favorite color. There’s a single candle right in the middle and she blows it out, laughing delightfully when Kara cheers. They both have goofy hats on that Kara bought with her own money.

    “Happy birthday, Alice!” Kara cheers. It’s Kara’s day off, thankfully, and she decided to spend it here with Alice. Together they drew pictures, made paper crowns, read stories, and had a tea party, which was what they were doing right now. Only the most honored guests were invited, and only one didn’t show up. Alice looks at the seat with a sad expression. Kara notices her long stare and moves to sit beside the young girl, She then hugs Alice tightly in her arms. 

    Todd was downstairs, in his study in a ‘very important business meeting’, he told Kara as she arrived. “Under no circumstances will you interrupt me,” He stated darkly.

    Kara nodded and headed upstairs to surprise Alice after that brief meeting.

    Kara worried her lip, looking between Alice, the empty chair, and the door. She was angry at Todd, angry that Alice is sad.  _ It’s her birthday, can’t he at least  _ **_try?_ **

**** Kara looks at the clock and frowns. Todd has been in his study for almost  _ 7 hours _ now, and hasn’t left for anything, not even lunch. She looks down at the cake, as an idea comes in mind. She can at least say it’s to drop off some cake, can’t she?

    Determined to make Alice happy, She cuts a slice out and puts it on a plate to bring to Todd. As she walks out the door she tells Alice to wait in her room. “I won’t be long!” She says with a smile.

    Alice nods and goes to talk to her best friend(besides Kara), Robin. Robin is her plush fox who sits on her right side. “Won’t you wait with me, Robin?” He, of course, says nothing in return and Alice accepts that as an agreement. “Thank you!” 

    It has been 10 minutes now and Alice has grown tired of waiting. She goes to open her door when she hears a blood-curdling scream cut through the silence of the house. Afraid, she takes a quick step back. Another scream causes her to fall backward, and she crawls hurriedly to her bed. She goes to hide underneath, afraid of what lurks outside her doors. She can faintly hear Kara’s whimpers but they are drowned out by a voice that’s angrier than she has ever heard it be.  _ Why is Dad angry? Did I do something? _

    She tries to calm her breathing but can’t seem to concentrate.  _ What’s going on? Is Kara alright? Why can’t I move? I need to see her! _

__ Alice is trying to leave her room but can’t seem to budge; she’s too afraid of what she might find if she leaves the safety of her bed. Tears are falling down her face and her breath hitches as she hears the telltale sound of glass shattering.

    Another scream rips through the air and Alice realizes that it’s her own.

_ What’s going on? What’s going on? Why did I let her leave? _

__ More screams and cries fill the house until it grows into a crescendo that is abruptly ended. 

    The house is silent and Alice almost begs the screams to come back because  _ why is it suddenly silent? What happened why did the screams cut off- _

__ Thump.

__ Thump.

__ Thump.

    She knows who’s coming up the stairs and it’s not Kara. It sounds... too heavy.

    Alice quickly crawls out from underneath, blows the candlelight in her room, gets into bed, and pulls the covers above her head, pretending to be fast asleep. The door opens painstakingly, and a sliver of light enters the room. They stay like that for a moment, both knowing that the other is there, until the door is slammed shut and Todd walks down the corridor to his room. Alice cannot stop shaking. 

    She doesn’t sleep that night, as thoughts of Kara plague her mind. It’s the longest night Alice has ever had.

    Alice looks at Kara now and feels guilty whenever she sees her face pinched in pain. 

_ I’m sorry.  _

_     I should have stopped him. _

__ Alice will do whatever it takes to help Kara because she has done so much to help her. The extra weight feels like nothing as she sees Kara’s expression seem more at ease. She nods her head, determined.

_ Whatever it takes. _

 


	7. The Plot Thickens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Markus, oh my god, if you trust everyone you think is genuine you’re going to live a very short life.”  
> “I'm 131, I think it’s safe to say I have already lived a long life.”  
> “That’s not what I mean and you know it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUCK YEAH PLOT HEAVY CHAPTER
> 
> Also Im so sorry I know I usually update like Early Saturday but this chapter whooped my ASS like seriouly i hope to god it sounds alright im going to scream if i get something wrong anyways here's a new fucking chapter i hope yall enjoy
> 
> if yall like it please leave a kudos and comment i try to reply to everyone bc i be loving what yall are sAYING HELL YEAH 
> 
> new characters elements  
> Luther- Earthbending  
> Zlatko- firebending  
> John- none

    “I can't believe the Fire Nation has uprooted all of these people’s lives,” Kara says as she passes by a group of refugees waiting in line for tickets. Around her, she sees thousands of people, just like her; every single one of them looks exhausted, dirty, and in need of a good meal. Distantly, she can hear a baby crying.

         Kara looks around.  _ Where to start? _

    She thinks back to the inn with the smiling lady. There was something off about her, something she couldn’t put her finger on. _If you can get to the Serpent’s Pass, there’s a man who lives near the entrance named Zlatko. He can get people to safety…If you understand what I’m saying,_ her voice rings through Kara’s head. She sighs heavily, weighing her options. Well. Her _only_ option. This man, _Zlatko_ , can supposedly bring people to safety from the war. Something that she and Alice desperately need. She looks down at the young girl, who at the moment is stifling a yawn. Kara smiles. For Alice, Kara will do anything. The girl deserves love and happiness, something she never received when she lived with Todd.

__ Kara takes Alice by the hand and pulls her away from the bustling streets filled with people. They main populous is walking all in the same direction, making it hard to pass. Kara huffs and decides to ask anyone loitering if they know about the mysterious peace bringer, Zlatko.

    “Excuse me? I’m looking for a man named Zlatko? Do you- Sorry! Sorry. I’ll leave you alone now.”

    “Hi, yes? Do you know anyone named Zlatko who lives around here?”

    “Excuse me, Miss? Me and my daughter- we’re are looking for-

    After another rebuff, Kara sighs in frustration. Everyone here just wants to be left alone. She takes Alice back to a sidewalk and leans on the wall, hands rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes. It was getting late, and everyone who wasn’t trying to get to the ferries didn’t act so kindly to strangers.

    “You looking for Zlatko?”

    Kara looks up quickly at the voice. Standing beside her is a tall black man, whose face was devoid of emotion and was staring at Kara, intently.

    Kara looks around and hesitantly nods. “Are… are you Zlatko?”

    The man shakes his head slowly. “I can take you to him,” he says as he turns around, walking away.

    Kara doesn’t move, however.

    The man seems to notice this and turns back around in confusion. “Come, follow me,” he gestures with his hands towards himself.

    Kara narrows her eyes in suspicion, holding Alice close. “How can I be sure to trust you?”

   “Zlatko lives just right here,” the man said as pointed to a house on a street corner. It was surrounded by tall pointed gates, which seemed more like a precaution of letting things out rather than letting things in. “Freedom is only a block away.”

    Kara worried her lip, and with one last glance around them, she relented. “Okay,” she said.

    “I trust you.”  

~~~

    As they walk to the door of Zlatko’s estate, Kara realizes she doesn’t know the man's name.

    “What’s your name?”

    The man pauses in his steps, caught off guard by the sudden question. “Luther,” he says curtly as he knocks. The door creaks loudly from his pounding fist.

    They wait in awkward silence for a few moments for the door to open. “I’m Kara, and this is Alice.”

    The man doesn’t seem to care much, he just stares blankly at the door.

    Alice tugs down on Kara’s sleeve, presenting someone she missed when introducing them. Kara laughs softly. “How could I forget? This is Prince.”

    Luther turns at this and looks down at the frog in amusing bewilderment. Alice holds up Prince a little higher as Luther’s stare intensifies as he processes the animal in Alice’s hands.

    “...nice to meet you.”  

    Alice’s giggle in response is cut off quite shortly as the door finally opens, revealing a portly and bearded man. He’s pale and has deep, purple bags under his eyes that speak of long nights with little sleep. He is looking at them from behind the door with eyes that are deeply suspicious. He looks at Luther, then at Kara and Alice, and then back Luther.

    “Are you Zlatko?” Kara says carefully; her vice grip on Alice is only tightening. 

    “Who’s asking?” He squints with distrust. 

    “They need help,” Luther says plainly.

    That seems to win over the man, and he opens the door to them saying, “Come in, quick!” 

    Alice and Kara look at each other doubtful, almost as if they had the same fears running through their head. The legitimacy of this deal seems dubious at best, but Kara hoped that was just paranoia eating away at her. She takes Alice’s hand in hers. She doesn’t know if she does it to comfort the girl or to give herself strength, but together they walk into the foyer of Zlatko’s manor. 

    As Kara is closing the door behind her, she is almost mesmerized by the sheer amount of intricate furnishings and architecture this house seems to obtain. Carved wooden support beams accent the dividing stairway that leads to the second floor. Large, glass stained windows cover the south wall quite beautifully. She even sees a stuffed ostrich tucked in the corner that is wearing an ornate saddle. Still, even with how beautiful this house seems to be, there is an unquestionable darkness that chokes out any pure grace from the home. 

    “Now don’t be shy! Please make yourself at home,” Zlatko calls from the living room. From where she stands, Kara can see that the man is fixing himself a drink. “Luther? Will you be so kind and take the ladies’ coats and hang them up for me?”

    Luther turns to them, arms out expectantly.

    “No, thank you that won’t be necessary. I’m quite cold,” Kara answers

    “Oh is that so? Luther! Start a fire then.”

    The man nods his head and walks on over to the fireplace. 

    Zlatko is sitting down on a couch, drinking silently. Kara drops her bag by the doorway and moves to sit as well, still on guard of any malicious behavior. She holds Alice’s hand tightly.

    “So…” Zlatko says lazily, “how did you hear about me?”

    “An innkeeper, she told me you can get people to safety,” Kara says. Everything about this place is putting her on edge; the dark atmosphere, the hanging heads of deer, the crackle of the fire, it sounds too loud for a peaceful ambiance. 

    “I see,” Another sip.

    “So you want to go somewhere safe, huh? Somewhere where you can, uh, get a fresh start,” by now the ragged man has finished his drink. He sets the cup down on the table between them. He nods slowly in thought, then smiles. “I hear Ba Sing Se is very lovely at this time of year.”

    Kara’s eyes widen as she processes his words.

    “Beautiful landscapes,” he continues, “open spaces- clean air! The Unpenetrable City is the stronghold of the Earth Kingdom. For the past 100 years, no one has been able to invade the city...” he scratches his head, “...if you ask me, that sounds like the best place to find a fresh start.”

    Kara nods slowly, holding back her eagerness to agree. “Y-yes. That is, well,” Kara can’t help but smile. “That’s exactly what we want.”

    Zlatko’s smile grows, “Well you’re in luck!” He points to himself, saying, “I can help you. You see, I’ve been in the business for a long time now. My house is based on top of a sewer system, where I help sneak people to safety. It opens up to the same lake where the ferries system transports the other refugees. Follow me,” he says as he stands up. 

    Kara stands to follow him, but Alice tugs at her pant leg. She looks down at the girl and sees hear in her eyes. Kara squats down to her level and gently holds Alice’s face in her hands. “He’s going to help us, Alice,” she smiles down sweetly. “Soon it will all be a bad dream.”

    Alice holds her gaze and gives her a small nod. Still, she looks fearful. Kara holds her free hand to comfort her. Together, the follow Zlatko. 

    “The little one can stay up here if she’d like..?” Zlatko offers.

    “Absolutely not. She stays with me.” 

    “Alright, alright,” Zlatko says in a placating manner.

    As they walk back into the entrance hall, Kara notices that Luther’s hulking form is following behind her as well. She feels a little caged by this but doesn’t voice it.

    “Ba Sing Se has strict immigration laws. You’re going to need identification, passports, approved medical forms and other documents I’m more than sure you don’t have,” Zlatko informs them as he starts to descend a staircase. “This is everything I have in my basement. Don’t want anyone knowing what I’m doing and besides- that's where the sewer entrance I’ve built is.”

    Kara nods and follows him down. The basement floor is gravel and dirt, and with each step, dust follows them. The walls look old and tarps cover what seem to be wooden stables. Kara frowns at the stables as she passes by, as she notes that a basement is a strange place to keep animals.

    “I don’t like this place- or that man,” Alice whispers to Kara. She looks back up the stairs with fear in her eyes. “Let’s just go, I have a bad feeling.”

    Kara brings her off to the side and says, “He’s a bit...odd, but I think we can trust him,” she brushes Alice’s hair out of her face. “I don’t think we have much of a choice.”

    Alice isn’t satisfied with that answer but follows anyway. She lets go of Karas' hand and begins to pet Prince gently. 

    “Please excuse the mess,” Zlatko calls out. “I needed somewhere discreet for the documents and such as I stated before,” He peeks his head around the corner. “I hope the little one isn’t  _ too  _ scared.”

    Kara looks back and sees Alice peeking into one of the stables. 

    “Prince? Come out!” Alice whispers into the darkness.

    “No, no, she’ll be alright,” Kara reassures, pulling Alice into the other room.      

    Alice doesn’t want to budge, however. “He jumped out of my hands! We have to grab him, Kara.”

    “Well come back for him, let’s just grab the forms first though, alright?” Kara ushers her back to where Zlatko is. This side room just as dirty as the hallways they were walking down. There’s a well that has been boarded up, as well rusted old barrels in the corner. Kara coughs due to how stuffy and dusty the place is.

    The man is bent over some drawers pulling out a large box. “Luther? Can you help set up, please?”

    Silently, the man walks past Kara and Alice and pulls back a tarp, revealing a single chair that looks to be a medical examination seat. Then, he walks back to the door. It’s now that Kara realizes there doesn’t seem to be anything in this room but the chair. She sees no entrance, no forms, nothing Zlatko said was here. Slowly, she starts to back up but is met by Luther standing stock still behind her, blocking the only exit. Her throat feels like closing up as she processes that Zlatko has lied to her. 

    She turns around to see Zlatko wearing an odd mask that has a ventilation device on its front. He brings it up and looks at Luther expectantly. Just then, Kara looks down as she feels something crawling up her and sees the dirt has encaptured her legs. She hears Alice exclaim and sees the same thing is happening to her. 

    “What are you doing?!” Kara cries out.

    Suddenly she’s moving, or rather, the dirt is pushing her to the chair. Alice shouts in fear, but she can’t move. Neither of them can. Bondage made of sand cover her forearms, tying them down harshly. They harden in place, almost like sedimentary rock. It’s then she realizes that this is Luther’s doing. She sees Zlatko laughing in the corner.

    “Ah, you delusional woman,” He turns back around and pulls out a device that looked to be a defuser. Next to it was a clear bag filled with  _ red ice.  _ Kara’s blood ran cold. 

    “You believed what you wanted to believe,” the man continued. “But don't worry- I said I would get you to safety, and I will.” 

    He laughs again, saying “You’re not the first one to come to me for help, and you’re definitely not the last, Kara. You’re all so naive, thinking of me as a  **savior** who will deliver you to a promised land; Don’t worry, I’ll be sending you somewhere far from the war…” He says offhandedly. “...at least, I think so. I know you don’t see it this way, Kara, but I’m helping you. After today, you won’t know anything about the war, you’ll only know work.”

    Kara shakes her head in denial _.  _ “No, no! I- PLEASE! JUST LET US GO!” Kara cries out _ ,  _ but Zlatko and Luther don’t react to it.

    “Kara no!” Alice has tears in her eyes. 

    “Oh? Oh, yes the child!” Zlatko looks at Luther and with a dismissing hand says, “Lock it up somewhere- I’ll deal with it later.”

    Kara can feel herself starting to hyperventilate. “Alice! No!” She screams, but it’s no use. Kara’s face twists into something awful when Luther grabs Alice. “I trusted you! I trusted you and look what you did!” Tears well in her eyes. Luther doesn’t react.

    Zlatko laughs. “He’s not going to help you, Kara, not with the tight hold I have on him.”

    Kara frowns at his words and looks back to Luther. She did notice a faraway look to his eyes, but now she realizes that it is due to whatever Zlatko has done to him, not because he’s acting for himself. 

    “Take a good look and him, Kara- that’s your future!” Zlatko laughs.

    She feels sick to her stomach. As Alice is dragged away, screams bounce off the walls. Now it’s just her and Zlatko. She looks down at the drug. 

    “Special stream of red ice- an amazing breakthrough really. Some of my friends back home made it. They made it my job to help it spread. Has some… effects I think you’re going to really like,” he says maliciously as he pours some red ice into the diffuser.

    Kara tries to break free from the earth prison she’s in, but she’s being held down securely- she isn’t going anywhere.     

    “W-what do you mean? W-what did you mean I’ll only ‘know work’?” Kara asks fearfully.

    “This new stream of red ice keeps people docile and compliant and has side effects of near-complete memory loss and mild psychosis,” Zlatko sighs. “Ah, what the hell. I can at least humor you for your last moments as a sentient person,” He says as he pulls a barrel from the corner and sits on it. “Look- the people who come to me for help usually get sent to work camps either here in the Earth Kingdom or the Fire Nation. I mean, yeah, occasionally we let a few loose in Ba Sing Se- like I said before, it’s  _ my job _ to help this new line spread. But most of the time, you’re sent to do slave work.” 

_ So. Human Trafficking. _

    With a flick of his hand, Zlatko produces a flame and sets the bottom of the diffuser on fire. Within mere seconds, a puff of red smoke comes out of the top. “Don’t worry Kara; it’s like you said before,” He looks her dead in the eyes before finally putting the mask on. Muffled Kara barely hears him, but she knows what he said.  _ “Soon it will all be a bad dream.” _

    Kara screams.

~~~

    By now, Zlatko has left the room, saying something about “not trusting the mask” or something. Kara’s face is tear stained as she watches red smoke start to engulf the room. It has started off slowly, but now the smoke is trailing down the table and ever so closer to her. 

    She realizes now that this could be her final moments. She thinks of Alice, and how she never got the childhood she desperately deserved. Alice, who right now is terrified and alone. Who knows what Zlatko will do to her? Kara loved Alice, she loved her like she was her own daughter.  

    Now, she’ll never see her again.

    More tears start trailing down her face. It’s hopeless, all of this, Zlatko was  _ right _ , she was naive to think she could change anythi-

_     Wait. _

__ Kara looks down at her bonds. A couple of tears that have fallen from her face, have made a stain on the solid formations tying her forearms down. Curiously, she notices that where the tears have fallen look almost... _ mud like. _

__ She spits on them. 

    Sure enough, a small fragment comes sliding down, ever so slowly.

    Kara’s eyes widen at the revelation. She looks at the diffuser and knows that she won’t have enough time to  _ spit  _ her way to freedom. Frantically, she looks around for a source of water until her eyes fall on the well directly in front of her. She knows that she doesn’t have a choice and she is almost thankful that Luther only tied her forearms down, not her hands themselves. She has to waterbend if she wants to ever see Alice again. She closes her eyes and concentrates deeply, taking in a deep breathe. Kara coughs suddenly and realizes that the red smoke is closer than what she believed it to be. She then, retakes a deep breath, only to hold it, and begins to reconcentrate.

_ No breathing this time.  _

__ Kara flicks her hands up violently, trying to call the water to her. Nothing happens.

_     You have to do this. _

__ She puts more power into her movements and distantly, she can almost hear the sound of water sloshing about. 

_     For Yourself. _

    By now, the sound has gotten louder. Kara feels her heart pounding, demanding air.

_     For Alice. _

__ Her hand movements are getting more frantic as she starts to lose oxygen, but she can’t give up.

_ For Alice, _

__ Though her eyes are closed, she can sense that the water is close. She feels herself shaking, every inch of her is screaming for air, air, air-

**_I’d do anything._ **

**** She feels something wet on her arms and she  _ knows _ .

    Slowly, she pulls her arms away from the muddy bondages and runs out the room. 

    She falls to her knees gasping for air. She closes the door behind her, making sure the smoke doesn’t follow. After a quick moment to herself, she stands back up. 

_ Find Alice. _

__ Kara looks to where Alice was standing earlier, where she lost Prince. She puts her hands to the bar, looking in. She gasps in fear when a hand reaches out of the dark, but tilts her head when she sees Prince sitting on it. She grabs the frog and places it on her forearm. He latches on happily. 

    “Help us…” a strained voice pleads.

    Kara wastes no time and unlocks the door. What she sees makes her skin crawl. There are people cowering in the dark. A man looks at her with only one eye and says solemnly, “He likes to play with us.”

    Kara looks around and sees others are also disfigured like him. “Create monsters, for his amusement,” he spits out. 

    “But...but who’s the real monster?”

    Kara swallows and feels sick to her stomach. Panicked, she runs out of the room and up the stairs. She has to find Alice. She walks up the stairs to the next floor, and sees a hallway filled with doorways.  _ Alice could be in any one of these.  _

__ She walks on over to the first door, peering in. She sees a giant cage and gasps when she sees the caged shirshu. Hesitantly, she opens that cage as well, and as luck would have it, the shirshu doesn’t attack her. She takes it as a blessing and walks back out of the hallway.

    Kara walks into the next room and sees a man in the bathtub. His eyes are closed and for a second, Kara thinks he’s dead. She gasps in shock, which causes the man's eyes to open. He doesn’t seem to be all there, however. He looks at her and frowns deeply. “What are you doing here? Has the master authorized you to be here?”

    She takes a step towards him and places her hand on his chest. She notices his legs are nothing but stumps. “Please… I’m looking for a little girl; Have you seen her?”

    He tilts his head. “Little, little girl? No...no no no I have not seen a little girl.”

    She furrows her eyebrows in fear.  _ Alice could be anywhere. _

__ “Okay, okay. I’ll leave you be.”

    The man in the tub still looks lost, however. He mumbles to himself, “Little girl? Have I seen a little girl? Maybe a little girl will come if I sing?” 

    Kara has stepped away from him by now, but as turns to leave she hears the man singing.  _ “Rock a bye baby… on the tree top…” _

    She opens the door only to meet Luther. 

    Her eyes widen in fear and she feels frozen in place. Luther does nothing but stares at her. He opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out.

    “...I.”

    He tries again. “I’m sorry,” his head is hanging. “The little one, she’s in there.”

    Kara sees to where he’s pointing. It’s the last door of the hallway. She looks to Luther confused on why he’s helping her but follows his directions. She walks to the door and opens it. 

    Sure enough, Kara sees Alice cowering in the corner. She’s sobbing silently into her knees. Kara’s heart breaks at the sight. Alice looks up and looks at Kara shocked. 

    “Kara?

    Kara nods and smiles sadly at Alice, taking her into her arms. “You were right, Alice, you were right,” she says as she holds back tears. “We should have never come here.”

    Kara looks back to the door and says sternly, “We have to go.” She lifts Alice to stand and says, “Follow me and don’t make any noises, understand?”

    Alice nods and together they leave the closet.

    “Luther?”

    “Yes, Zlatko?” 

    “I’m finished here. Go fetch the little one.”

    Alice whimpers at Zlatko taking about her and Kara pulls them immediately into the first room to their left. She closes the door behind her and scans the room. There's a fire going and tarps on all of the furniture. Kara pulls Alice to hide underneath the table. From behind the door, Kara can hear Luther’s voice booming.

    “Zlatko! The little one is gone!” 

     When she hears his footsteps move away from the doorway, she pulls Alice out and they run to the other door. As soon as she opens it, Zlatko is standing there, flames emitting from his fist.

    Alice screams as Kara quickly closes the door on him. She’s trapped, however, as Luther came in from the other door. Quickly, Kara opens the door back up, only for Zlatko to burn Luther, startling both men enough for Kara and Alice to pass. 

    They run down the hallway, ducking away from Zlatko’s fireballs. Around them, the beautiful wooden pillars that adorned the house splinter from the force of the blasts he throws at them. Multiple times Kara had close calls, adrenaline forcing her natural instincts to keep her alive.

    They make it out the back door and keep running into the night, only to be stopped by the metal fence surrounding the house. Kara turns around to see Zlatko and Luther standing before them. Her throat dries up.

    “You should have fucking listen to me!” Zlatko yells at her, getting into position.

    Luther looks between them and something inside him  _ shifts. _

__ He walks in front of Zlatko, protecting Kara and Alice.

    “What’re think you’re doing?” Zlatko shakes his head, “Get out of my way!”

    Luther frowns and reaches his hand out to Zlatko. “No,” He says and suddenly, Zlatko is halfway in the ground. He looks up at Luther in surprise and horror.

    “Not this  _ time, _ ” Luther spits out.

    Before Zlatko can react, he’s swallowed by the earth.

    Kara looks at him, frightened. She holds Alice away from the man.

    Luther turns around, holding his hands up in surrender. Kara appreciates the gesture, only slightly. He has a sad look to his eyes, something that wasn’t there before.

    “I didn’t want to hurt you,” He says to her. He looks lost in his own head but he continues, saying, “All I have known was Zlatko; I don’t know what I was before. But…” he looks Kara in her eyes pleading. “When I saw you risk your life to save the little one, it’s like my eyes opened for the first time.”

    He takes a step towards them. “I know you have no reason to trust me, but please; I have nowhere to go. I can help protect you two.”

    Alice peeks out from behind Kara, staring intently at the man. Kara feels that the man wasn’t at fault; you can’t blame a tool, and that’s what Zlatko saw Luther as- nothing but a tool. “A-alright.” she nods. “You can come with us.”

    Kara squats down and hugs Alice tightly. It’s over, Zlatko is dead. She lets tears run down her face freely. “I was so  _ scared  _ of losing you.”

    But it’s over.

    And soon it will all be nothing but a bad dream.

* * *

 

   It’s dusk when Markus, Simon, North, and Josh make it to the road that Fire-Nation caravans use to transport supplies. They are hiding in a shrubbery away from the direct pass- they aren’t keen on any curious eyes looking their way.

    Markus immediately took to the sky, to look for any caravans that are heading their way. Down on the ground, the three Jericho leaders waited.

    “I, uh, want you two to know that I do really want to help Jericho…” Josh says, breaking the silence.

    Simon looks at him confused. “Of course we know that Josh, why wouldn’t we?”

    He looks down at the ground, “Well I just felt..look- I know I’m not the one to run headfirst into danger, but that's because I feel that we need to look out for each other.  _ Internally.  _ Remember  _ why _ we stopped doing this?” 

    Simon flinches.

    North looks at them both with sad eyes. “Josh, we don’t have a choice anymore, Markus is right- if we don’t do something for our people, they will  _ die.” _

__ “...You’re right, North,” Josh nods still looking down. “This is for our people.”

    North nods in agreement. “For our people.”

    It’s then when Markus comes flying down through the trees. “Okay: what's the plan? We’ve got a caravan on its way from the south. It’s a little bit away, but I’m sure it’ll be here within the hour.”

    “Perfect,” North says with a grin.

    Markus looks to her and asks, “How’s your earthbending?”

    She cracks her hands and replies, “I rely mainly on brute strength more than anything.”

    “Power over precision,” Markus hums, “We can work with that,” He looks to Simon next. “And you, Simon? How’s your waterbending? Earlier you said  you’re not very good at it anymore , but I know you’re good at something.”

    The blond man shrugged, “I’d say I’m the exact opposite of North.”

    “Meaning he’s dainty,” North said with a sly grin.

    Simon rolled his eyes. “Meaning I usually hit my target, North,” he sticks his nose in the air, playfully teasing. “That’s more than you can say.”

    North slaps him on the back, causing him to stumble. Markus laughs.

    “And you, Josh. I know you’re not a bender but from the looks of it I’d say you are adept at archery?”

    Josh nods, holding up his bow. “I picked it up when I realized that Jericho was going to have to survive on more than just fish.”

    “Great, great okay. Here’s what we’re going to do,” Markus pauses. “There will be absolutely no killing.”

    North protests. “Markus these people are evil, they deserve it.”

    Markus, however, doesn’t back down. “No, we aren’t going to kill them. We just have to subdue them. It’s only two guards; we easily can overpower them.”

    “I’m with Markus on that one- no one needs to die tonight,” Josh states.

    “Me too,” Simon agrees.

    North looks at all three of them, then sighs, shaking her head. “Fine. No killing.”

    “Glad we’re on the same page,” Markus looks at the three Jericho leaders and tells him his plan. “North, I’m going to need you to create a diversion; get something to stop the caravan. Simon, Josh, you’ll take out the guard in the back. Then, I’ll take out the driver. Are we clear?”

    “Seems simple enough,” Josh says.

    North laughs, “I think this is something that’s easier said than done, Josh.”

    “You three are more than capable, I know together we will bring Jericho the supplies they desperately need.” 

    The three leaders look touched by Markus’ words. He smiles at them genuinely. “Let’s do this.”

~~~

    The four are in position as the fire nation slowly approaches. Markus nods at North, who in turn creates a gaping hole in the path, making it impossible for the caravan to cross. 

    “Woah!” The driver calls out, pulling the horses leading to a halt.

    “What’s the holdup, John?”

    “The ground- it’s gone!”

    The guard from the back begins to laugh. “What do you mean ‘the ground is-

    A thud. Then silence. 

    “M-mike?”

    By now the driver has stepped out of his seat. Markus is about to attack when he sees the man take off his helmet and drop it to the ground.

    “Look, whoever is doing this, I have no loyalties to the Fire Nation. Just take it.”

    Markus drops from his tree, revealing himself to John. He holds his staff in a menacing way. John puts his hands up in surrender.

    Markus frowns in suspicion. “If you hold no loyalties to the Fire Nation, why are you in the army?”

    John swallows nervously. “I-It’s not like I had a choice, back home I’d be  _ killed _ if I didn’t sign up for at least transporting supplies. Besides, I got out of that stupid country.”

    Markus holds his gaze for a few more seconds but finally relents, putting his staff back on his back.

    “Clear!” He calls out.

     “What the hell, Markus! This isn’t part of the plan!” North yells from the bushes. 

    Simon and Josh follow, dragging an unconscious Mike and propping him on the wheel closest to Markus. “Seriously. Markus, we can’t trust him. He’s Fire Nation,” Josh spits.

    John flinches, only slightly.

    Markus scrutinizes John and says, “No…no, I think we can trust him. He seems genuine.”

    “Markus, oh my god, if you trust everyone you think is  _ genuine  _ you’re going to live a very short life.”

    “I'm 131, I think it’s safe to say I have already lived a long life.”

    “That’s not what I mean and you know it!”

    “There more you can take.”

    Four heads shoot to look at John. He jumps back from the sudden attention he has on him.

    “I mean it. At the military base I’m transporting these supplies to,” John continues. “There are more caravans- bigger ones even. If you can sneak in-”

    “Absolutely not-”

    “You're fucking crazy if you think for  _ one second-” _

__ “Okay.”

    Together Josh and North look at Markus shocked. “What?!”

    Simon looks worried. “Markus, I don’t think this is the best idea. As much as you are a peaceful type, we can’t trust him. He’s done nothing to prove himself.”

    Markus looks at the three Jericho leaders with sad eyes. But frowns when he notices something off. He looks to the ground and with a dawning terror, he says, “Mike is missing.”

    The four others turn to where the unconscious man was propped up and sees that, yes, in fact, he has vanished. The five go on high alert and it takes nearly seconds for Mike to come barreling down on the group. He grabs Josh quickly by his neck and holds a flame close to his face. 

    “Don’t come any closer or I’ll kill’em!”

    Markus brings is staff out but hesitates when Mike brings the flame down to Josh’s shoulder, making him yelp in pain. He puts the staff back down.

    “Don’t you fuckin’ move either!” Mike looks frantically back at the four of them. “Now here’s what’s gonna happen- you gonna give me back my guy and this one,” he says, “Doesn’t die. Are we clear?”

    Markus nods.

    “John! Get the fuck over here!”

    The man does as he’s told and stands by Mike’s side.

    North rolls her eyes in disgust. “See? I told you! We should have never trusted him, he was probably buying the scumbag some time to drop the ball on us!”

    Markus feels disheartened by this turn of events. If he just stuck to the plan, Josh wouldn’t be hurt- he has failed these people. Still, he saw good in John and that hurts, even more, to see the man betray-

    Just then, John punches Mike square in the face, causing him to falter, and lose his grip on Josh. Josh runs back to Jericho’s leaders and turns to see John wailing down on Mike. He doesn’t stop until Mike stops moving.

    He looks back at them. “Listen I don’t know who you are, but I want to help. Please, just,” he looks down at Mike. “I don’t want to serve them any longer.”

    The Jericho leaders look at him, calculating. Then, they look at each other and nod.

    “Okay,” Simon tells him. “We trust you.”

    John nods eagerly and says, “Thank you! Seriously.”

    Josh apprehensively walks on over to Mike and asks, “Uh, he’s not  _ dead,  _ is he?”

    The Fire Nation soldier looks at him confused. “No, I made sure I didn’t kill him. Why? Did you want him to be?” 

    Markus hurriedly says, “No! No, that won’t be necessary,” he looks back to the caravan and says, “You got some rope to tie him up with?”

    John perks up, “Rope won’t do, he’ll just burn right through it. We got some chains though. We’ll tie him to a tree,” he jumps into the back and throws the chain onto the path. “Here. Use this.”

    Together Markus and North tie the man to a tree. When he comes back, He sees that both Josh and Simon are wearing Soldiers uniforms.

    “What’s this dress up?” North teases.

    Josh rolls his eyes, “If we want to sneak in, we have to use disguises- or else the whole thing will blow up in our face!”

    John chuckles at that. “Quite literally, in fact. You know, since they’re fire benders?”

    “Hardy har har,” North sarcastically laughs. She doesn’t seem to fully trust John but isn’t protesting the plan. “Throw me a uniform then, buddy.”

    He does so and throws one at Markus as well. Finally, fully dressed, John makes sure to give Markus a full helmet, one that covers his face. Markus looks confused. “That’s not the same helmet you’re wearing.”

    “This one is to cover your tattoo. It’s just a precaution, I swear.”

    Satisfied with the explanation, Markus takes the helmet and puts it on. He squints, trying to look through the lenses. “I can’t see anything with this thing on!”

    John rubs the back of his neck, “Yeah sorry about that. It’s mainly for daylight combat.”

    Markus sighs, accepting his fate. “Fine, whatever,” he steps onto the caravan and sits with the three other Jericho leaders. 

    They wait in awkward silence for John to start moving, but nothing happens. North grows impatient. “Hey, asshole? What’s the fucking hold up?” 

    “I, uh, need you to bring back the road,” John nervously asks.

    North looks at him slightly embarrassed. “Well, why didn’t you say so?” She spits back angrily. She stomps her foot and the road is back. 

    With a nervous nod, John says, “R-right. Here we go then.”

~~~

    The caravan makes it to the base without any further delays. As they pass by security, everyone holds their breath. But it was for nothing, as they slip by without any trouble from the other guards.

    Simon is bouncing his leg to quell his nerves. 

    “Stop that. It’s making me nervous,” North whispers at him.

    “ _ You’re _ nervous!? That’s it- we’re screwed,” Josh says definitively.

    “Quiet back there!” John whispers at them harshly.

    They stop talking after that as John continues to take them to the unloading dock. When they finally come to a halt, Simon can’t help but sigh in relief.

    Markus looks at him with a reassuring smile, but it’s not like Simon could see it. “We’ll be fine- I promise.”

     Simon, however, seems to get the message and nods at him gratefully. “Thanks, Markus,”

    Together, the four jump down from the caravan and examine the place. John wasn’t kidding; there was Caravans almost four times as big as the one they were in, filled to the brim with medkits, clothes, and dry rations.

    “We start unloading in the morning unless we were given perishables or livestock,” John remarks to them. “No one should be in here but us.” 

    “Perfect,” Markus says as he pulls off his helmet. He massages his temples, “God, that thing was squeezing my brain.”

    North laughs at him.

    After getting situated Markus says, “Okay here’s the plan-”

    “Are you going to stick to it this time or are we picking up more fire nation soldiers along the way?” Josh asks, voice dripping with sarcasm.

    Markus rolls his eyes. “We wouldn’t be here if I did stick to the plan.”

    “You say that like it’s a good thing!” North shoots back.

    “Hush! Let the man speak,” Simon says, once again being the obligatory mediator between the two leaders. 

    Markus nods at the blond man gratefully. “Thank you, Simon. Now listen up; all we’re going to do is take just one of the larger caravans out of here. We’re just going to say that this caravan is exporting goods and hopefully things will sail smoothly. Are we clear?”

    “And what if things  _ don’t _ go smoothly?” North asks.

    “If things go wrong, North, I’m going to need you in the back. You have to block anyone who pursues us. Go crazy with it- just no killing.”

    She rolls her eyes but says, “Fine. That doesn’t mean I’m playing nice though.”

    Markus smiles. “That’s fair.”

   “Alright. Here we go again,” Josh says as walk the aisles of storage units.

~~~

    The five of them found a caravan that had everything they could have ever hoped for and then some. Medkits, clothing, rations, even some entertainment, to Markus’ surprise. And, to North’s delight, weapons.

    “They have books!” Josh whispered excitedly.

    “Is that all you care about? Books?” North teased as she gawked at the number of spears this caravan is holding.

    “Well, I  _ was  _ a professor before all of this.”

     “Shh!” Markus whispered at the two. Just because they were alone didn’t mean they shouldn’t take any precautions.

    They figured that this caravan was more for a high ranking officer than the average soldier. Something about that made it even sweeter to steal. Since the Caravan was a lot bigger, John had to find four more mules to help move it, or else they would be getting nowhere. When he came back, the four were already in position. Josh and Markus would hide inside while North covered the back and John and Simon sat up front. If things go awry, Markus and Josh would join in, but for now, they stayed hidden.

    “Ugh, I have to put this thing on again, huh.”

    Josh laughed softly. “Yeah, sorry, Markus. We can’t take any chances.”

    “I know, I know,” was the muffled response from behind the mask. Markus sighed deeply and said, “Everybody ready?”

   He saw them nod at him and he said, “Great. John, lead the way!”

    They exited the storage hold and slowly began their trek to the gates of the Fire Nation military station. There were two guards there, looking up at the caravan with confused eyes.

    One pulls out a paper from his back pocket looking down at it with furrowed eyes.

    “We don’t have any exporting shipments tonight. What’s the big deal?” He asks John.

    The other guard puts his hand on his sword, just in case. John feels his throat dry up.

    “I got orders to get this shipment out as soon as possible.”

    The guard scrunches his eyes in suspicion. “As I said, it’s not written here.”

    John looks away to hide his fear. “Alright, alright. I’ll just go tell the  _ Captain _ you said that.” 

    Both of the guard's eyes widen. 

    John continues his bluff and says, “I'm sure he'll be  _ ecstatic _ to hear about you two undermining his authority.”

     The guard grows more nervous, glancing at each other in fear.

    John moves as if he was turning the caravan away but stops himself, asking them innocently, “What's your names again?”

    The one who reached for his sword puts his hands up to stop John. “W-wait! Don't tell the captain. We’ll just…” The look at each other, “forget the list.” The two of them step out of the way and open the gate for them. Slowly, the caravan crawls out of the military base when suddenly-

    “SOUND THE ALARM!” A voice cuts through the darkness. The two guards look back to the building and see a soldier running towards them.

    “CLOSE THE GATES! CLOSE THE GATES!”

    The guards turn around and blast flames at the caravan, but were intercepted by North, who made a wall for them to escape.

    “Shit!” She yelled in surprise as the two guards hurdled the stone slab. “Pick up the pace, John! We got company!” She stomps her foot, causing more walls to block the guards' path.

    John nods frantically and whips the mule's reigns, signaling to them to start running. Soon, they are moving at high speeds down the path. It’s dark but the path is starting to lighten as the firebenders' attacks start lighting up the trees and thickets.

    “Shit! Where am I supposed to go?! You never told me where your base is!!” John yelled to the Jericho leaders.

    “A-at the next fork take a left!” Simon yelled back.

    Just then a spare fireball hit the caravan, lighting the side on fire. 

    Markus sees the flames from within the Caravan and yells, “Simon! I need you to make sure this thing doesn’t burn!”

    “On it!” He yelled back, pulling his water skin from underneath his disguise. He drags the water out and puts out the fire quickly, scanning the tarp for any stray flames.

    “How are these guys so fast?!” North yelled as Markus came back to meet her. 

    The guards  _ are _ unusually fast, Markus notes. He takes off his mask and sees that the foes are propelling themselves over the obstacles. Markus pulls his hang glider out only for North to throw it back.

    “Are you crazy?! If they find out you’re an Airbender they’ll kill you on sight!”

    “I can’t stand here and do nothing!”

    “You aren’t doing nothing; catch!” Josh says as he throws him a shield. Markus catches it and uses it to defend North from any fireballs. 

    Suddenly the unit jerks sharply to the left Jostling the passengers and the supplies.

    “Simon!” John yells as the man is thrown from the front seat. The three Jericho leaders in the back see the blond roll past them until he stops, unresponsive. Markus’ blood runs cold seeing this. 

    Without even thinking, Markus jumps from the moving vehicle and into the dirt path. He hears the two others protest but it’s already too late; he’s reached Simon, but he’s been cornered by three soldiers. Four more soldiers follow the caravan and he can see from here that they’ve been hit again. Without Simon there to kill the flames, the caravan will burn. This would all be for nothing. They will be executed, and Jericho will die. 

    Not if he can do anything about it. He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes.

    When he opens them, they shine brightly with a glowing white.

    The soldiers falter as they see this, and step back. That’s all Markus needs. With a tremendous stomp, he imprisons the three in a giant stone cell. Then, he summons the water out of the forest area around him causing them to wrinkle haphazardly as they dry out. Using their water, he creates rain to put out the flaming caravan. From where he stood, he used the remaining water to freeze the bodies of the four soldiers who pursued the caravan. North, Josh, and John stare in disbelief. He then turns back to Simon and carries him over to them, eyes still blinding white. 

    “M-Markus?” Josh calls out to him hesitantly. 

    Slowly, the glow dissipates, until it reveals two mismatched eyes once more. Markus blinks and looks back to the three others.

    They say nothing in return.

    “What the fuck was that?! You earthbended AND waterbended!” North yells at him.

    “That…”Josh starts as he processes what just happened. He takes a step back.

     “That was the Avatar State.”

* * *

 

    It’s nighttime and Connor is in his private quarters, looking down at a ruined map. He’s looking down in a literal sense, but his eyes are not focused. Neither is his mind. Just today, they had reached the Northern Earth Kingdom, where he knew the beam of light originated. It’s been more than a week from the day the light shined; he’ll be lucky to find any trace of whatever that light emitted from. 

    Hank hasn’t been ardent on helping anything to add on top of that. Connor thinks back to this afternoon when they first arrived. He remembers his conversation with the Lieutenant-General.  

    The older man was lamenting about being at sea for so long. “I need to feel land, Connor,” the Lieutenant-General told him. “The constant waves are making me sick.”

    “Are you sure that isn’t a hangover you’re feeling, Lieutenant-General?” Connor quipped back. He didn’t look up from his map, but he can feel Hanks unamused gaze upon him. A small smile escaped as Connor imagined Hank’s reaction to his remark.

    “Laugh it up, asshole, I know you want to,” Hank mumbled. The older man knocks his head back and sighed loudly. “Seriously, at the rate you’re going kid, you’re going to work yourself to death,” Hank said, eyes analyzing Connor. “Take a day off, Connor. It won’t hurt anyone.”

    Connor looked up from his map and determinedly said, “I have to stay focused. I need to find the Avatar, it’s my duty to the Fire Nation.”

    “Well, it ain’t your duty, to work yourself to  _ death _ Connor,” Hank shot back. He looked at him with knowing eyes. “Crewmen say you’re up all night, just staring at that damned map; this obsession ain’t good for you Connor…believe me,” Hank mumbles that last part to himself, but Connor picks up on it. He decided to let it go.

    “I fail to see how I conduct myself pertains to you, Lieutenant-General. If I ever want to catch the Avatar I need to-”

    “Connor look- I don't want you to get too excited over nothin’, it’s been 100 fucking years since anyone saw this asshole. Even if you're right, and the Avatar is alive, you won't find him. Everyone who has tried has failed.”

    Connor narrowed his eyes in indignation. “That is because their  _ honor _ didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture. Mine  _ does.”  _ He said coldly. 

    “Still…you have to admit, this isn’t a walk in the park.”

    “No one said this was going to be easy.”

    “Just…look out for yourself,” Hank said, barely reigning his temper.

    Connor looks back down at his map, “Maybe I’ll take your advice when you apply it to yourself, Lieutenant-General.”

    Hank clenched his jaw in anger and pulled the map from the table. He then proceeded to crumple it up, set it on fire, and throw it back at Connor.

    Connor then stood up from his chair and walked on over to Hank, making sure to get in his face. “I’ve been assigned this mission Lieutenant-General. I understand the odds are not in my favor. But you are being absolutely no help with this  _ childish _ behavior. If you’re going to disrupt the mission I’d rather have you drunk and out of my way than sober and causing more problems.”

    Hank left immediately after that without another word, taking a small cruiser and sailing to land.     

    Now, it was almost 9 o’clock at night and according to the other crewmen, the Lieutenant-General hadn’t returned. Connor admits he is a little bit more than anxious, and his coin isn’t helping him calm his thoughts. Connor feels at fault for upsetting the man so, but he was deliberately subverting the mission. Something Amanda would be furious about.

    Still. The man has deep psychological issues and was attempting to care for Connor, albeit, in an unusual manner. Connor sighs, putting the ruined map away. He walks out of his quarters and into the hallway, seeing no one. He then proceeded to walk down into the lower decks, where the spare lifeboats are placed. It’s also where Sumo sleeps.

    The giant polar bear dog perked up when he saw Connor and bounded over to him happily. He licked his face to Connor’s disgust and sniffed him enthusiastically. “I’m going to look for the Lieutenant-General,” Connor told the dog. “Would you like to come with me?” 

    Sumo said nothing in return, only licking the young man once more. 

    “I’ll take that as a yes.”

~~~

    Connor made it to land, carefully weaving through the iceberg-infested waters. The Lifeboat was quite full, as Sumo took up most of the room, but Connor managed easily. As he stranded the boat onto land, He saw the cruiser Hank took this afternoon. The floor of it is covered in empty bottles.

    “How the Lieutenant-General managed not to crash into the icebergs is beyond me,” Connor says, lifting a bottle off the ground. No traces of where Hank went are left, making Connor huff in frustration. He Looks at Sumo, and then back to the alcohol. “Sumo! Come here, boy!” Connor beckons. 

    The large dog perks up at the sound of his name and comes running at Connor, tail wagging. 

    Connor lifts the bottle for Sumo to smell. The dog complies and sniffs at the bottle. “That’s it, boy, come on- we gotta find him.”

    Sumo then starts to sniff the ground until he finds what seems to be a scent trail. Connor mounts him and the two rush off into the night, looking for Hank. 

~~~

    Sumo takes them to a bar a little ways’ west of where they landed, and Connor sighs in disappointment, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Your owner really spends too much time in bars,” Connor tells Sumo as he ties him to a pole. “Stay, here; I’ll be back with the Lieutenant-General.”

    Connor opens the door to the bar and walks in. As always, his reputation proceeds him; he’s met with the same silence he receives everytime he walks into places unexpectedly. Eyes of the patrons follow him as he makes his way to the bartender. 

_     Déjà Vu,  _ Connor thinks to himself. He looks around and doesn’t see the Lieutenant-General anywhere. He frowns to himself, deeply.

    “Excuse me, I’m looking for a man- Gray hair, blue eyes, possibly very angry?”

    The Bartender nods his head, scratching and his long beard. “Yeah, was in here earlier- drunk off his ass, I’ll tell you that,” the man looks down at Connor’s uniform and sneers. “Any reason why a Fire Nation official lookin’ for ‘im?” 

    “I fail to see why that matters to you,” Connor tilts his head in confusion.

    “Well pretty boy, I don’t serve no fire nation assholes. I don’t care who you are, you better get the hell outta here!”

    Connor grabs the man by his beard and pulls him in close. The man is shocked by this turn of events and looks at Connor, eyes wide with fear.

    Connor uses his other hand to produce a blue flame. Behind him, he can hear patrons scrambling, wanting to leave the bar as fast as possible. Soon, the place is deathly silent. 

    “If you have a single  _ ounce  _ of self-preservation left you’ll tell me where he went,” Connor said as he brought the flame near the man's face.

    “L-look I know I talk big but in all honesty, I don’t know where he went!” The man cries out.

    Unsatisfied, Connor brings the flame to his beard, singeing the hairs that come too close to the flames.

    The man exclaims when he sees this and frantically yells, “Pl-please! I swear I don’t know where he went after I kicked him out!”

    Connor tilts his head again and moves his hand closer to the beard creating the unpleasant scent of burnt hair. “Why did you kick him out?”

    “Some earth bending soldiers and him got into a fight! God, please stop!! I told ‘em to take it outside I swear  _ I swear _ I don’t know where they went!” The man was yanking back on his beard in futile attempts to escape his grasp.

    Connor asks one last question. “Is there an Earth Kingdom Militant Base nearby?”

    The man attempts to nod but altogether fails to due to how tight Connor is gripping his beard. “T-take Sand Canyon Road! Go s-south! You can’t miss it! Now please let me go!” The man cries out. 

    This time Connor does let go, making the man slip as he’s been pulling back on Connor’s grip the entire time. Before Connor stands up, he grabs a bottle of whiskey and takes it with him.

    Then, Connor nods to the bartender and leaves the premises. As he walks back out into the street, he tells Sumo, “Looks like you were following the smell of alcohol rather than the smell of Anderson.”

    Connor mounts Sumo once more. “Although...those two are becoming alarmingly similar.”

    Connor frowns worriedly.  _ I just hope he’s alright. _

~~~

        As it turns out, the Lieutenant-General was  _ not alright.  _ Connor and Sumo were walking down Sand Canyon Road on the lookout for the militant base when they noticed a commotion in a ditch a few meters away from the direct path. Curious, Connor led Sumo towards it.

    Connor’s anxiety spiked when he looked down into the ditch. Six Earth Kingdom guards stood in a circle ominously. In the middle was Hank, who was shackled and on the ground. His hands were placed flat on a rock slab.

    “These dangerous hands must be crushed,” Connor hears one soldier say as he lifts a giant rock, moving it to be directly above Hanks' arms.

_ No time like the present. _

__ “Sumo, Attack!” Connor yells. Immediately, Connor jumps into the fray, kicking the boulder aside before breaking Lieutenant-General’s chain with his boot. He sees Sumo off in the corner, using one of the soldiers as a new chew toy.

   Hank looks shocked that Connor was there, but doesn’t voice his surprise. Instead, he pulls himself to his feet and the two Firebenders look out to the soldiers back to back.

    “Surrender yourselves. It's five against two. You're clearly outnumbered,” one soldier calls out to them.

    Hank laughs, “No chance in hell you, fuckers!”

    Connor looks at his opponents with deadly glares and says, “You are clearly outmatched.”

    The soldiers proceed to bombard them with rocks, but Hank destroys them easily with the chains bound to his wrists. Connor decides to take a more direct hand-to-hand approach and easily subdues one soldier without even using firebending. Unbeknownst to him, a rock is fired at his back, but Hank quickly intercepts the momentum and throws it back at the soldiers, knocking three more down. The last soldier sees now that he is outnumbered and severely outmatched and attempts to flee, only to be met by Sumo, who growls menacingly at him. He starts backing up, but the Polar bear dog pounces on him and tears him apart easily.

    Now that the fight is over, the two men shift awkwardly as the air still hasn’t been cleared up from this afternoon. Deciding that actions speak louder than words, Connor pulls Sumo over(making him drop the mutilated man), opens his pack and pulls out a bottle of whiskey for the older man. He holds it up to him with a forced smile.

    Hank does nothing but stares sternly at him in return. 

    Uncomfortable under his gaze Connor starts, “Uh, well…” he clears his throat. “I’m… sorry about what I said earlier. I didn’t mean what I said,” he gives the man a small bow before saying, “You bring valuable insight to this mission and I was out of line- forgive me.”  

    Hank says nothing.

    “And,” Connor pauses before continuing, “I was starting to believe we were becoming… friends. I-I’m sorry.”

    Hank still says nothing, but he pulls the whiskey from Connor’s hand. Connor stands up straight again to see the Lieutenant-General reading the label.

    “Black Lamb, huh?” Hank says pulling the top off. He takes a swig and gives him a lopsided smile. He brings a finger to jab Connor in the chest. “Your ass is lucky this is my favorite.”

    Connor is pleased with the turns of events. He knows that he needs all the help he can get if he wants to succeed in his mission. And… he wasn’t lying about wanting to be the Lieutenant-General’s friend. The man was friendly and kind underneath that coarse and hardened skin. He nods at the older man and together they climb out of the ditch and start their walk back to the ship.

    After some companionable silence, Anderson says, “Hey, Connor?”

    Connor perks up. “Yes, Lieutenant-General?”

    “...Call me Hank.”

    Connor looks at him with contentment and says, “Whatever you say, Hank.”

~~~

    As the two men ride down the path to the ship, Connor realizes that they must have taken a wrong turn, because he doesn’t remember seeing a stone cube, or four frozen Fire Nation Soldiers on his way over. 

    Quickly he dismounted Sumo and ran over to the guards. Their teeth we chattering and their lips were blue. Connor immediately set off to thaw them out. Hank, thankfully helped him out. 

    “Who’s the bastard who did this to you?” He asked them. It was pointless, as the guard's teeth were chattering so much that they couldn’t talk properly. It took 30 minutes to help all four and to start a fire using the dry shrubbery near the stone cube. He didn’t know how he was going to help those few inside, but he decided it was a higher priority to help the hypothermic men.

    It took another 30 minutes but by now the men looked much better then before, even if some were still quite pale in the face. “I’m just glad no one has to lose a finger!” Hank joked as he poured the men some of his whiskey.

    The guards looked at him with unamused stares. Hank clears his throat, embarrassed. 

    Connor looks at him the same eyes the guards gave him before shaking his head, and asking, “Who did this to you?” 

    The four men looked at each other until one said, “You wouldn’t believe us if we told you.”

    “We’ve had a crazy night tonight, and quite frankly, I don’t think anything can surprise me anymore,” Hank mumbled that last part to himself, taking a swig from the whiskey.

    The first man spoke up again, “It was...the Avatar.”

    Hank choked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall this shit was 9000 words of whoopass my god i cant belive i pulled this off
> 
> EDIT   
> Hey guys if ur wondering why i havent updated in like 2 weeksits because my dumbass lost my laptop charger and its really hard for my to fund motivation to write on my phone since the google docs isnt as moblie friendly ;( Ill let u know when I get the chance to buy the damn charger but for now im writing in a notebook so you might get more than one chapter when I do get it! :D lol okay byeeeeee
> 
> If you liked the fic so far, please leave a kudos and a comment! I love reading comments lol :D 
> 
> you can also reach me on my .tumblr.com at sugarskullz :333


	8. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Fucking--How many times am I going to get ambushed today!?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey im so sorry i took a long ass break shit came up and i dealt with it :D lmao anyways yeah so sorry if u thought i abandoned this i honeslty t=dont think i can id feel too guilty ;(((( lmaoooOOO anyways i got a little bit of newsss rn im in college so at the turn of the semester the schedule will most likely change to Thursday but im not sure yet. anyways yeah thats it.  
> Also sorry if u felt that Kara's part was too short but if i recall correctly ive been giving her long ass chapters and this was the longest it could have been before next week #sorrynotsorry  
> ALSO ALSO the cliffhanger at the end was only because i dont have the energy to finish writing whats exactly going on here
> 
> Hope you enjoy tho!!! please comment and below and leave a kudos it really keeps me going my dudes

_“Who did this to you?”_

_The four men looked at each other nervously, until one said, “You wouldn’t believe us if we told you.”_

_Hank laughed at that. “We’ve had a crazy night tonight, and quite frankly, I don’t think anything can surprise me anymore,” Hank mumbled that last part to himself, taking a swig from the whiskey._

_The first man worried his lip, and hesitantly spoke up again, “It was… it was the Avatar.”_

_Hank choked._

    Connor kept replaying the moment in his head. After the guard confessed that they saw the Avatar, all the self-doubt about accomplishing this mission disappeared.

    Soon after that admission, the guards explained to them what happened. The story was interrupted multiple times by Connor’s eager queries, but that was stopped quickly after Hank got annoyed.

    “How many were there? Did you see their faces? Were any of the others benders? Who-”

    “Fucking- Connor! Let the man tell the damn story! We still don’t know why we found four Fire Nation popsicles tonight.” Hank berated as he took another swig of his drink. _This kid is going to be the death of me,_ Hank bitterly thought.

    Connor looked at him and then back at the guard. He took a deep breath and said, “I apologize. Please, continue your story.”

    The guard looked at them nervously. “R-right. Thank you,” he shivered a bit and nodded. “Where was I? Oh! Yes, of course. So, we finally caught up to the group, when suddenly one of them fell from the caravan. Another followed, and so we decided to split up-- three stayed behind to apprehend the two that fell, while the four of us followed the caravan. We quickly overpowered them, but something…” his stops in his tracks, with eyes that seem far away from here. He gulps and looks Connor in the eyes, saying, “something impossible happened.”

    He took a deep breath for continuing. “We felt…a tremble come from the ground below us, and suddenly the three that had surrounded the two that fell were gone, and in their place was a stone block,” he says as he points to the cube in question. “Then, the greenery that surrounded us, just…dried out.”

    Hank took a step forward, “Woah Woah Woah, you mean to tell me that this,” he gestures to the dead plants around them, “Was alive?” Hank laughs mockingly. “Horseshit.”

    Connor tilts his head at Hank. “I thought you said not to interrupt them, Hank.”

    “Oh fuck off.”

    Connor turned back to the guard. “Please ignore him. Continue.”

    “It’s fine, I didn’t believe my own eyes until I turned around and saw something that will haunt me forever. The man who jumped after the other looked like a god. His eyes were glowing a blinding white. He was bending the water out the live trees, something I never knew was possible.”

    Neither Connor or Hank knew what to say.

    “The next thing I know it’s raining, and I can’t move--ice had climbed up my legs and then I couldn’t run. I tried to see what was happening and felt so cold. I then occurred to me that-

    “You were frozen solid,” Hank finishes.

    The guard nodded. “Yeah. I couldn’t feel anything but the pain.”

    Hank nods. “Hmm. Well. Did you at least get a good look at these bastards?”

    Another guard speaks up. “All together it was five people: one woman and four men. I heard the others call the man who fell out the caravan Simon and call the...the Avatar Markus.”

    Connor purses his hands together. “Anything else we should know?”

    “I think there were two more benders, but I can’t be sure. I think there was an earthbender as well as a water bender, but it could have been the Avatar doing all the work.”

    Connor stands up at that. “Thank you,” He turns to Hank and says, “We’re leaving. If we want to find them tonight there’s no time to waste.”

    The first guard perks up at this, “Wait a minute what about them?” He says, gesturing to the three men stuck in the stone cube. He looks back at Connor with disbelieving eyes. “You’re just gonna leave them? What are we supposed to do?”

    Connor stares down at the man with cold eyes, making the guard wilt under his gaze. “This does not fall under my jurisdiction and doesn’t pertain to my mission. Call the sentries from your base camp if you feel that you can’t do anything without some instructions from your higher-ups.”

    The guard weakly nods and Connor turns back to Hank. “Let’s go.”

    Hank rolls his eyes and calls Sumo over. _This is going to be a_ **_long_ ** _night._

* * *

    Before leaving, Luther searched Zlatko’s home for any supplies they could take. Kara dared not to take another step into the home, which Luther found understandable. He didn’t find much, but before he went outside to meet Kara and Alice, he saw one of the mutilated prisoners staring at the firepit. Luther stopped in his tracks, unsure how to proceed. He was quiet for a considerable time.

    Luther feels immense guilt for what he had done to these people. He kept these people from freedom, he helped send them to god knows where, and those who Zlatko kept underwent torture to the most humiliating and painful degree. He feels himself trembling in this man’s presence.

    “I’m sorry- I know I wasn’t in control of my actions,” Luther’s voice cracked with heavy emotion. “But t-that doesn’t mean I don’t-”

    He cut himself off, squeezing his eyes shut to keep any tears from falling.

    He heard a slow limping gait walking towards him. He didn’t open his eyes until he was felt a hand on his shoulder. Luther opened his eyes to be face to face with this man. He was bald, and his eyes were an unnatural crimson red. There wasn’t anything behind his gaze. He was most likely blind, Luther thought to himself.

    “Thank you for killing him,” the man smiled weakly.

    Luther nodded, not know what to say in response. But immediately he felt embarrassed since the man couldn’t see the gesture. “It had to be done. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help sooner.”

    The man tilts his head. “I must be a sight to behold; I’m lucky he blinded me first so I wouldn’t see the monster I have become,” he laughs. It makes Luther shudder, how empty it sounds, void of any true mirth. The man then sighed deeply before saying, “What matters now is that he’s gone, he can’t hurt anyone else.”

    Luther agrees silently. “What will you do now?”

    “I don’t think many of there others are all...” he struggles to find the right word and ends up pointing to his head saying, “...here. He left me alone, mostly, but some of the others...”

    He sighs deeply and continues.

    “Someone will have to take care of them. Someone will have to take care of me. If we have each other, I think we can get by.”

    “Are you sure you will be safe here?”

    “Are you sure you will be safe out there?” The man counters.

    Luther falters slightly at this-- it’s true, he has no idea where to turn, and he’s sure neither does Kara and Alice.

    “Kara and I must keep the little one safe, going further into Earth Kingdom territory is the only place that’s safe anymore.”

    “Each day the front line is pushed higher and higher up north,” the man counters. “Soon...there will be nothing left.”

    “Well, what choice do we have?” Luther argues.

    In the distance, the two men can hear a distant and muffled singing.

     _Rock-a-bye baby, On the treetops..._

    The man smiles at Luther and says, “Please excuse me, I think I need to check on an old friend.”

    With that the man turns around, walking towards the staircase.

    “Wait!” Luther calls out.

    The man stops walking and turns toward Luther again.

    “I didn’t catch your name.”

    “...Ian. My name is Ian,” he seems to...contemplate something before finally saying, “If you decide that traveling farther into the Earth Kingdom isn’t the best idea, look for Jericho.”

    The man said nothing more, and didn’t respond when Luther called out to him, “What’s Jericho?”

* * *

     _Head...hurts…_

_What’s going on? Hurts too much I can’t stay awake, what was I doing?_

_I hear voices, what's that bright light?_

_Am I being carried-_

    When Simon woke up, all he could think about is how much his head hurt. He couldn’t feel anything but the throbbing pain that rung in his temples. As he tried to sit himself up, he groaned loudly, which in turn alerted the other leaders of Jericho that he was finally awake.

    “Simon?” a loud voice called out to him.

    “Please…” he whispered, “keep your voice-”

    “Simon!” suddenly he’s lying flat back down as someone drops on top of him, awkwardly trying to hug him. He feels the pounding in his head intensify.

    “Ow…” he wheezes.

    Slowly, Simon opens his eyes to see North looking at him with relief. “Sorry!” She exclaims loudly, only to backtrack and whisper once more, “Sorry! You took a nasty fall; You must be in a lot of pain.”

    Simon felt his blood run cold. “Oh no, I botched the mission, didn’t I? Is everybody alright? Where’s Josh? Where’s Mark-”

    “Everybody is fine,” North cuts him off coldly. He is confused at the sudden change of North’s mood, but he doesn’t comment of it.

     “Oh. Well, that’s a relief,” Simon says quietly.

     As he lays himself back down, it’s now that he notices they are still on the caravan. The tarp overhead has a huge hole that has blackened around the edges from the guard’s attack. Watching the stars through the giant hole is oddly calming. He feels like closing his eyes again, but something is nagging at him. He scatches at the wood planks underneath him when he realized that it’s slightly damp to the touch. Simon then looks around only to see that parts of the tarp that aren’t charred are dripping onto the supplies.

     _If they came back for me, there’s no way they could have escaped..._

_...unless..?_

    “Hey so did a freak rainstorm save us or what?”

    He hears Josh laugh and say, “Yeah, something like that!”

    As he turns toward the voice, he sees that Josh is sitting in the front with John, giving vague directions on how to find Jericho.

    “Yeah, I guess you can say it was freaky,” North states coldly to the back of the caravan.

    Following her eyes, Simon can see Markus sitting by himself, not facing the rest of the group.

    Confused, he looked between the two. “Did, did something happen?” He asks cautiously.

    “Yeah, Markus, did something happen?” North yells at him. “Is there something you wanna _tell_ Simon?”

    “North, that's enough!” Josh calls from the front disapprovingly.

    She scoffs at him. “Are you serious?”

    “Are _you_ serious?” He looks at her with disbelieving eyes. “Weren’t you the one who got angry at Simon for telling Markus what happened to him and his people?” Josh scoffs, and continues: “And now you’re _mad_ that Markus kept something from us?”

    She had nothing to say at that.

    Simon however, _did_ have something to say about that. “I’m sorry, I don’t see why any of that is relevant right now,” he looks to all three confused, “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?”

    It’s now that Markus turns around to face the others, he sighs deeply and walks on over to where North and Simon are sitting. He sits down on some cargo and laughs unexpectantly.

    “There’s not really a... _gentle_ way of saying this, you know?” he says, looking at North for guidance.

    That proves to be useless, as she gives him nothing but cold glares in return. He clears his throat awkwardly.

    “Simon, I've been keeping something from you guys.”

    “It’s not our right to know your past, Markus,” Simon reassures him.

    Markus shakes his head in disagreement. “No, I feel that I should have already told you this, but I didn’t know how to bring it up.” He looks Simon in the eyes and says, “Well…as you know, the avatar has been gone for a hundred years...”

    “Yeah?”

    “And everyone assumed the cycle was broken because of that.”

    Simon couldn’t see where this was going but let Markus continue.

    “Well, I know that to be false.”

    Simon’s eyes blew wide at this new knowledge. “You know where the Avatar is?”

    “Yes. I know where the avatar is…because the avatar has been frozen for 100 years.”

    Simon’s eyes were the size of dinner plates, and his breath hitched in surprise.

    “You...you were in the iceberg with the avatar!?”

    “No, you idiot!” North yells exasperated. “He’s trying to tell you that he’s the avatar!”

    Simon blinked in surprise and looked at the two of them in disbelief.

    “...You’re kidding, right? Tell me you’re kidding,” he said with a forced grin.

    Neither Markus or North return a smile, however.

    Slowly the smile disappears off Simon’s face, as he starts to realize that his friends are being serious. “I think I need a moment,” Simon says after some time.

    “Well, I, for one, am glad that the avatar is back,” Josh says, trying to break the awkward silence.

    “I’m not mad that the Avatar is back, I’m mad that he didn’t tell us sooner!” North yells back at Josh.

    “And it’s great timing too since the great comet is coming,” John remarks amicably.

    Markus tilts his head in confusion. “Great Comet?”

    “The Great Comet! You know, the one that comes every one hundred years and strengthens every Firebenders power?”

    Slowly everyone turns to John, eyes wide at the implications of that statement.

    “I-I thought you knew! I mean, that’s what the Fire Nation used to begin the War. W-we learned this in grade school-- the army harnessed the comet’s incredible power and dealt the deadly first strike against the other nations,” John looks uneasy under their scrutiny but continued. “The Great Comet will return by the end of the summer, and The Fire Nation will use its power to finish the war, once and for all,” John finishes grimly.

    Markus feels his throat dry up. _This can’t be happening._ It feels like merely hours ago that he has been awoken from a century-long sleep, and he hears that a war he has no knowledge of will bring the destruction of the world at the end of the summer.  

    “B-but hey! Avatar Markus is alive!” Josh says, desperately trying to clear the dark mood that has appeared. “With the Avatar we can end the war, we all saw how powerful he was in the Avatar State, with that power we have a fighting chance!”

    Markus doesn’t look too sure of himself, however. “I believe my connection with the Avatar state has weakened.”

    “What are you talking about?” North questions. It’s the first time she has said anything since Josh berated her. “What do you mean, ‘weakened?’”

    “ I learned I was the Avatar at 16 and after that, most of my training involved me connecting to the spirit world and achieving mastery of the avatar state. But when I froze, I must have used the Avatar state to keep my physical body from dying. I used so much energy to stay alive,” Markus sighs. “I fear it may be close to exhaustion.”

    North laughs high and mockingly applauds him. “Well isn’t that just great.”

    Josh doesn’t relent just yet. “B-but as the Avatar, surely you are the most capable in defeating the Fire Nation, after all, you have mastery over the four elements-

    “As I said, most of my training involved me connecting to the spirit world and achieving mastery of the avatar state. As we were in a time of peace, the Monks saw it fit to train me as the diplomat between worlds rather than a weapon. I have only mastered airbending and know the basics of the other elements.”

    “So basically, you’re useless,” North concludes. “No wonder you didn’t tell us.”

    “Show the Avatar some respect!” Josh yells defensively.

    “I’ll show it when he deserves it!”

    “North!”

    Simon, always the mediator, decides to jump in before any blood is shed. “If I may,” he says as he slowly brings himself to his feet. “You said that the comet will come at the end of summer; that gives us a whole 10 months for Markus to master the elements and for us to prepare. We don’t have to this alone! If we tell the other nations this valuable intel, we can fight together, we still have a chance.”

    “You might be overestimating my capabilities if you think I will be able to master the four elements in the next ten months,” Markus points out.

    “I don’t think you have a choice,” North butts in. “It is your duty to save this world, so you better try your damn hardest to succeed.”

    “I think we need to figure out a game plan, we have too much to do focus on right now,” John says.

    “I agree,” Markus says as searches the cargo surrounding them. He seems to find what he is looking for after a relatively short time, as he starts to open one of the supply crates and pull out a map, an inkwell, and quill. He turns the map over and says, “Okay, here is what we are going to do,” while writing JERICHO’S PRIORITIES in fat, bold letters. “We first have to bring Jericho to the Northern Air Temple, as we need the support Rose can give us. From there, we can decide what actions we will take to warn the Earth Kingdom and the Northern Water Tribe, as well as finding others who can teach me the four elements. It that clear?”

   “No,” Simon shakes his head, “you need all the time you can get to master the four elements. If you wait just to lead Jericho, you will waste valuable time."

    “I agree with Simon,” North says. “We were fine without you.”.

    “We were not fine without him- look what we have done with his help!” Josh says, gesturing to the caravan.

    Markus shakes his head. “I’m not leaving you guys again. I promised to bring you guys to safety, and I won’t back down; not now.”

    The others stayed silent until North relented, and said, “Fine.” She then walked to the back of the caravan and sat on its edge. She didn’t seem like she wanted to be disturbed.

    “Alright then,” Josh said, awkwardly scooting back to where John was steering them. “I’m just gonna...go,” Josh seemed to backpedal in his steps, and walked on over just to bow to Markus before leaving once more to guide John.

    It was just Simon and Markus now. Markus stared at him as if he was waiting for him to leave as well. Simon did no such thing, however. He lied back down on the floor of the caravan and smiled up at Markus reassuringly, saying, “So...we save Jericho then we save the world; how hard can that be?”

    Simon was certain he saw Markus suppressing a laugh before closing his eyes once more.

* * *

    “Ugh! This is hopeless!” Hank calls out to the darkness. It’s deep into the night and neither he nor Connor have found anything tracing back to the so-called Avatar attack that occurred earlier that evening. It also didn’t help that he was still a bit tipsy, but still, the point stands that they are getting nowhere with this investigation.

    That didn’t stop Connor, however. They have searched the main roads, but they haven’t found any traces that imply the Avatar took any detours down stray paths. It was infuriating, being so close yet so far from accomplishing his mission. He couldn’t stop, however. Amanda wouldn’t if she was in his shoes. He would find them if he just worked faster, if he worked more efficient, if he worked more-

    “Augh!” after tripping over a stray tree root, Connor found himself face down in some dirt. He hauled himself back up as Hank laughed from on top of Sumo. He glared up at them in annoyance.

    After walking for about another hour, Connor can’t ignore the exhaustion that is creeping into his body. He can’t recall the last time he actually slept a full night’s sleep, and it’s starting to catch up with him. He accidentally lets a yawn slip out, which was his first mistake.

    “Come on, kid. Let’s go back,” Hank says, holding an arm out for Connor to pull himself up.

    Connor shakes his head and says, “No, we can’t give up now-- not when we’re so close! We will capture them by the end of the night. I’m sure of it,” He walks ahead of Sumo and Hank, trying to cover another loud yawn.

    Hank frowns at him and then looks up at the sky. Judging by the moon's placement in the sky it’s closer to sunrise then he’d like it to be. “And what good will you be at capturing them if you can’t even keep your damn eyes open?” Hank calls out to the prince, who has now decidedly chosen to ignore him. The older man rolls his eyes and hurries Sumo to catch up with Connor before he collapses from exhaustion.

   To Hank’s point and enjoyment, Connor does trip once more as he and Sumo are trotting along. Hank laughs as he finally reaches Connor but he knits his brows as the younger man looks to be on high alert. Hank squints out to the darkness to see anything that could have spooked the kid but sees nothing in the shrubbery.

    “I think you’re right Lieutenant-General,” Connor says as he backs up to be in front of Sumo, taking a defensive stance. “It’s about time we leave.”

    Hank can’t see a threat anywhere close to them but he trusts Connor’s judgment enough to know that they have to leave _immediately._ He turns Sumo back the way they were walking in as Connor follows at a distance.

    The two stay quiet, listening closely for anything that might give away any concealed attackers. They don’t have to wait long, as a fan comes shooting out from the darkness, and straight into Hank’s forehead. With a shout, he falls off Sumo and into the ground. One of the ambushers makes their way towards him. He seems to be unresponsive.

    “Hank!” Connor calls out, running quickly towards the prone man. He’s too focused on Hank that he doesn’t see another attacker sneak up behind him before it’s too late. Two arms grab at his collar and yank back harshly before a swift kick into his back makes him topple over onto his stomach. Before he can even orientate himself his arms are pulled behind himself in a rough manner as a boot is holding him down. His arms and feet are being tied together and before a bag is placed over his head he sees the same is happening to Hank.

    “Or maybe we can stay a while.”

~~~

    “Uggh…Fuck,” Hank opens his eyes to see darkness. He doesn’t remember passing out, nor drinking nearly enough to have a killer headache like the one he has right now, but it must have happened. Groaning, he tries to stretch the crick in his back but feels…restrained.

    Quite literally.

    “Hank?” A voice calls out to him in the darkness.

    Hank feels around and is certain that there are shackles around his wrists and ankles once more. _Well, ain’t that just_ **_great_ ** _._

    “Fucking--How many times am I going to get ambushed today!?

 


	9. Traci's Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sweetheart, if you just wanted to take a man home all you had to do was ask,” Hank sneered.  
> He was quickly silenced by a dagger being held to his throat. The Blue haired woman narrowed her eyes in disgust. “Believe me when I say you’re not my type.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey sorry if the time jumps are a lil wonky I try not to confuse you too much but just to clarify this chapter starts the night of the raid with Markus and then jumps back to where chapter 8 ended with Connor and Kara the next morning. Just as a heads up.
> 
> I renamed the “Kyoshi Warriors” as “Traci’s angels” because of Amelia Rose Blaire because I felt it fitting. If you don’t know who Amelia Rose Blaire is, she is the actor who plays the Traci’s in DBH! Also, she’s Bryan Decharts wife!!! I forgot exactly how Traci’s Angels came to be tbh- is that the name of her fanbase? Idk I think it’s real swell tho. Anyways go watch Byran and Amelia's twitch if you don’t already they are such the cutest couple and they play fun games such as Spyro and smash as well as reruns of Detroit!! 
> 
>  
> 
> also im so sorry for a late update i promise u that I wont abandon the fic bc ids lowkey feel really bad ;((( anyways hope you enjoy!!!
> 
> PS new drinking game: everytime I say 'warrior' in connor's section take a shot fucking christ

    The five of them finally arrived at the beached battleship at 1 in the morning. The tense silence that had fallen upon the group since Markus’ secret was spilled disappeared quickly when they were greeted by applause and cheers of joy.

    Simon smiled warmly to his people. “A caravan! We stole a whole caravan!” He rejoices, handing out blankets to anyone near. The people take them eagerly, relishing how soft they feel.

    “We have enough medical supplies for everybody!” Josh adds, just as happy.

    “We couldn’t have done it without Markus,” North says to everyone’s shock. She doesn’t seem happy nor sad, she’s just stating the facts. She does however respectfully nod towards him, which he returns gratefully. At least she doesn’t hate him.

    All the eyes in the room turn to him, each filled with varying levels of respect and admiration.

    Markus clears his throat before walking towards the group. “Who knows how long I would have been in that Iceberg if it wasn’t for you people. Jericho saved me from eternal, restless oblivion. But who is going to save you?” He makes a point to look his people in their eyes. They appear to be moved greatly by his words. “You say that we are free from the war here…” he continues, “But all I see is that you’re all free to live in the dark, hoping that no one finds us. You are all free to die in the dark, hoping for a change that's never going to come.”

    He frowns to the floor. “But I don’t want that freedom. And I know neither do you.” Markus grabs a torch from the supplies and firebends to light it on fire, shocking everyone. Before anyone can speak or protest out of fear, he declares loudly, “Do not be afraid, I mean you no harm,” he airbends the fire away, proclaiming, “For I am the Avatar.”

    Everyone’s is reeling at his words, but Markus continues. “Our days of fear are over. The Fire Nation has done nothing but take from us and I say that ends today!”

    Small cheers emit from the crowd while Jericho’s other leaders look at him in awe.

    “It’s my duty to save the world…and I say that starts with you.”

    The cheering increases tenfold, the people seem to be reinvigorated to live, now that they have a beacon of hope. Markus smiles at them.

~~~

    It was 10 a.m., and most of Jericho has gone down to sleep the day away. Those awake were either moving the last of the supplies to different parts of the ship or was North, who was busy throwing a ball against the wall of the hull and catching it, over and over again. Markus has just finished doing rounds to make sure everyone had blankets for the day when he heard the repeating _thwump_ of North’s ball. She seemed like she wanted to be alone, but something called him over to her.

    “Hey,” he said awkwardly.

    She ignored him and continued to throw the ball.

    “Listen, I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you-"

    “It’s fine,” she says curtly, avoiding eye contact. She continues to throw the ball.

    Markus looks at her, unsure of himself. “You don’t sound like you’re fine with it.”

    North catches the ball and turns towards him. “Listen-I’m trying to politely brush you off here,” she pouts at him, mockingly. “Or has that never happened to you before, Avatar Markus?”

    Markus sighs and sits down on a plank near her. She makes a point to decidedly turn away from him.

    “If we want to save Jericho, we have to trust each other, North. We have to work together.”

    She stayed silent. He wasn’t wrong-Jericho would struggle if its leaders wouldn’t even speak to each other. And as she admitted earlier, they couldn’t have done this without him. Everything he was saying made reasonable sense.

    North, however, wasn’t one to acknowledge that. Her nature was far too stubborn for such behavior. So, she ignored Markus and continued to throw her ball at the wall, this time much harder than before.

    Markus sensed that he was getting nowhere. He stood up and sighed dramatically. “Well isn’t that too bad,” He said to no one in particular, “I was really looking forward to training you…”

    The thumping stopped immediately.

    Markus started to walk away but made sure his voice was loud enough for North to hear. “Guess I’ll have to find something else to do in my free time,” he teased.

    There was a beat of silence, and Markus thought for a split second North wasn’t going to take the bait until, “You know, It would be... _beneficial_ for Jericho if we trained together.”

    Markus turned around smiling, only to be smacked in the square in the face by the ball. He fell backward into the ground, wincing. When he opened his eyes, it was to see North peering over him.

    “So when do we start?” She asked, biting her lip in excitement.

~~~

    Josh wasn’t a bender. He never had been and he was okay with that. After all, he was more than capable with a bow when it came to hunting.

    So it really made no sense to him why he was forced to come along with North, Simon, and Markus to practice bending.

    “Can’t we do this at night? You know how dangerous it is to be out there midday,” Josh argues.

    “No one has come up this North in a long time,” North says. “We’ll stay close to the ship just in case.”

    “Someone has to stay and watch Jericho,” He tries again.

    “And that someone is Lucy. Come on!” Simon pulls on his backpack and threw Josh his, brushing past him quickly.

    Josh looks at him in surprise- usually, it takes North and Josh hours of convincing to get Simon to practice bending, and now here he is, practically hurrying everyone else to get started. _Well, at least he’s starting to get out of his shell,_ Josh cheerfully thinks.

    The four of them settled on the beach not far from the ship, just in case they needed to speedily run from any attackers, just as North had said. Unfortunately, the sun was nowhere in sight today, and there was a cool breeze that cut through each of their coats, making them extremely cold. All of them except Markus, who explained that airbenders can bend the air around them to feel warmer. North held it against him.

    “I chose the beach today,” Markus says, calling them to attention, “because here we have access to both water and earth,” Markus shifts the sand around them delicately. All three looked at his hands in amazement.

    “North, I’ve decided that since you tend to throw more power in your punches, we should work on increasing your accuracy. Hence-- the sand.”

    North looked at Markus disbelieving. “You want me to _bend_ sand?!”

    Markus laughed and gestured for her to calm down. “It’s not as hard as it sounds, really,” Markus makes a point of picking up sand and circling it around himself and North as if it were water. “Follow my movements, and when you feel ready, try helping me guide it.”

    North watched how his arms moved in a circular motion and imitated him awkwardly. The movement didn’t feel like any earthbending she’s ever done before, it almost felt like-

    “Isn’t that a waterbending technique?” Simon asked from the rock he and Josh were perched on.

    Markus nodded his head, happy that Simon inferred that. “Yes, it is! During my training, I found that blending techniques from other types of bending can often be beneficial- it will make you a well-balanced bender,” he turned his attention back at North, “and in this case, using waterbending techniques will help you build your precision.”

    North takes a deep breath and tries to get into the rhythm of Markus’ movements, pulling her arms back in fourth. Slowly, She starts to pull some of the sand away from the circle, and makes a bigger one outside of them. Every now and then some sand slips from her grasp, but with Markus’ encouraging words and helpful tips, she manages to take all of the sand from Markus’ circle.

    “Incredible!” Josh exclaims from where he’s sitting. North shoots him a quick nervous smile but closes her eyes to concentrate back on the sand.

    “Great!” Markus says, “If you can, try to challenge yourself into making different shapes, like figure eights or even try slowing and speeding up how fast the sand is revolving around you- take your time though. There’s no need to rush.”

    After North nods her head to signal that she heard him, Markus walks on over to Simon, who is bouncing his legs in both nervousness and from the cold.

    “You aren’t going to have me earthbend, are you?” Simon deadpans.

    Markus huffs and says, “And If I was?” He challenged.

    Simon laughs in reply.

    “No, I’m not having you earthbend,” Markus admits.

    “What?!” North yells from where she’s standing. “No fair!” she realizes her mistake in losing concentration, as a hefty portion of the sand falls out of her grasp. “SHIT.”

    Josh’s giggles at her mishap, until he’s slapped in the face by the rest of the sand North is carrying. She raises her arms proudly. “Look! I hit my target!”

    “Let’s not use friends as target practice next time,” Markus frowns at her disapprovingly. “But...I can’t say I’m not proud. Keep going!”

    Markus turns back to Simon. “As I said, no earthbending for you. Instead, we are going to work on building momentum,” he takes Simon’s hand and leads him to the shoreline where small waves roll seafoam onto the wintery beach. “And what better way then to take from nature? Waves are nothing but power, a power so strong that it can create raging storms and tsunamis,” he reaches down to touch the rippling water that laps onto the sand, “or be as gentle as the water at our feet.”

    He wipes his hand on his shirt and looks at Simon with genuine happiness.

    Simon can’t tell if the blush on his face is from the cold or if it’s because of how intently Markus is staring at him. He decides to go with the former.

    “I want you to to be that power,” Markus says, getting into position next to him. Simon stares, trying to match Markus’ posture to the T.  Markus raises he arms above his head and whips them down, creating an impressive wave that recoiled back into the sea.

    Simon nods his head and tries to do the same, but when he whips his arms down as Markus had done, he falters as his shoulder cramps painfully. He grabs it in shock.

    “Oh god! Are you okay?” Markus says worriedly.

    “Yeah! Yeah, I’m fine- it’s an old injury,” Simon winces as he tries to roll his shoulder out.

    Markus doesn’t seem too convinced. “Are you sure you’re okay? I know we barely started but it’s alright to stop whenever you feel like doing so.”

    “No! No, it’s fine really,” Simon stands back up to his full height. “I just have to work around it.”

    “Well in that case, just so we don’t agitate your shoulder anymore, let's try something else,” Markus pulls his arms up above his head once more, building another large body of water. But instead of whipping his arms down, he just…seems to let go of his hold on the wave.

    “Try to develop and sustain the water until you feel you can’t hold it any longer. When you let go, gravity will create the power for you. Same idea- just a different way of doing it.”

    Simon nods and follows Markus’ instructions. He starts off small, but gradually after a few minutes, he’s making waves that are about three meters tall. Markus seems proud of this progress and decides to check back on North.

    As he walks towards her, he can tell that North’s posture is much less awkward this time around and she seems to have the basic motion down.

    “Hey! I think I’m starting to get the hang of this!” she beams.

    “I’m really impressed!” he smiles back. “You have this down perfectly-- do you think you can change the direction the sand is moving?”

    Instantly North’s face drops. “As if this wasn’t hard enough?!”

    “What happened to ‘I’m starting to get the hang of this?’”Josh laughs.

    “Stay out of this!” she yells back, pointing her finger in his face.

    Unfortunately, as soon as she does that the sand she was revolving falls back onto the floor. North groans in frustration but Josh laughs even louder at this. He tries to dodge her sand attacks but he’s practically rolling on the floor now.

    Overhead, the three watch as the world blinks into existence, startling them out of their merriment. Moments later, a thunderous boom echoes throughout the beach, leaving them more shaken than before.

    “Woah,” North says looking back at the two others. “What the fuck was that.”

    “That sounded like lightning,” Markus says, squinting up at the sky. Though it was very cloudy today, he saw no rain clouds in sight. After his eyes tire of looking for storm clouds, Markus’ eyes land on Simon’s figure running straight at them from the shoreline.

    Markus smiles at him, but the grin slowly morphs into something of confusion as he sees the other’s expression.

    Simon’s eyes are blown wide open and he rushes down the shore at the trio. “We have to go-- now!” He yells, pulling on North’s arm to get them to start running.  
   She pulls back and shouts back, “What’s your problem, Simon?!”   
   “There's a Fire Nation vessel nearby! Look!” He says, pointing to the smoke tracks in the sky. They followed the trail to a ship far off in the distance, but one far too close for comfort. Sensing the danger that they could potentially be in right now, the four start running back to Jericho.  

    “Fuck, what’s going on? In the span of 12 hours, we found out that the man in the iceberg is the Avatar and now what? Freak lightning strikes and now Fire Nation ships? Can’t we catch a break?” North jokes, hoping that her cynical attitude will lighten the mood.

    It doesn’t.

* * *

 

    “Fucking--How many times am I going to get ambushed today!?” Hank yells exasperated. As it turns out yet again, Hank has been captured. He’s really starting to get sick of this.

    “Technically,” Connor’s muffled voice calls out, both breaking the silence and startling him, “it’s morning, Lieutenant-General: you’ve only been kidnapped once today.”

   Hank feels three separate chains encasing him: one around his middle that is securing him to the beam and two that has shackles around both his wrists and ankles that are binding him to a hook on the floor. After noticing this he feels Connor shift. Well, at least he has company this time around.

    “Okay three things smartass: you know what I meant and you know it, how the fuck do you know it’s morning, and I told you already- it’s Hank.”

    “I’ve been awake this entire time; we’ve been captured close to 3 and a half hours now.”

    “And what? You’ve done nothing to escape?”

    “It would dampen our chances of success if I had to carry your unconscious body, Hank. And no- I’ve been investigating my surroundings to the best of my abilities in spite of this sack around my head,” Connor says matter-of-factly. “I know that we are in a basement based off the flight of stairs they took us down and that this place is being used as a storage hold of some sort since there is a lack of a strong echo.”

    “Huh. Well isn’t that good to know. Know anything about our captors?” Hank asks quizzically, not really expecting a real answer.

    “Yes actually!” Connor says eagerly. He won’t admit it to anyone but he likes to explain his findings-- he feels proud every time he can conclude the truth based off simple clues, even if it got him in trouble more times then once as a young boy.

    “I know we were ambushed by a group of women- I don’t know how many. The two I saw before this bag was unceremoniously placed on my head had blue hair and brown cropped hair respectively.”

    “Well, that’s just peachy.”

    “I also know that whoever took us has not left this room,” Connor concludes ominously.

    “What the fu-” Hank is interrupted by a sudden slam to the ground at his feet. He tries to pull them back but he feels the chains around his ankles protest.

    “Glad that one is finally awake…” a feminine voice rings out.

    Though no one can see it, Connor has a sly grin on his face. “I was wondering when you were going to announce yourself. Who are you?”

    All he gets in response to his question is a slap to his face.

    “I’ll be asking the questions here!” she says again this time pulling off Hank’s hood.

    When he blinks away the darkness, Hank can see that all of Connor’s deductions were correct: the two were placed in a dingy basement that seemed to be storing textiles. He was also correct about their captors being women, as he saw the two he described right in front of him. They wore long black dresses that were covered in armor. They looked almost identical thanks to their war paint, and Hank guessed he would have never been able to tell them apart if it wasn’t for their brilliantly colored hair. _Oh no…_ He thinks to himself as the realization of _who_ has captured them has settled in.

    “Sweetheart, if you just wanted to take a man home all you had to do was ask,” Hank sneered.

    He was quickly silenced by a dagger suddenly being held to his throat. The blue haired woman narrowed her eyes in disgust at him. “Believe me when I say you’re not my type.”

   She pulled a knife back but didn’t put it away. “Mind telling us what two Fire Nation officials and their mutt are doin-”

    “Wait a minute-- where’s Sumo?!?” Connor panicked, looking around uselessly as there still was the bag around his head. Hank couldn’t see Connor but by how much his chains are rattling he can tell that the prince was well past freaking out.

    _I can’t believe that I forgot to account for Sumo! Now that I think back on it, what did they do with him? Did he run away? I can’t remember what happened-_

    His racing thoughts are brought to an abrupt stop as the brunette kicks him in the chest, shouting, “Don’t you interrupt her!”

    He groans but doesn’t say anything else.

    “Your dog is safe,” she confirms to them, partially annoyed. “Now, as I was saying: mind telling us what you two are doing so far up north?”

    “Vacation,” Hank deadpans.

    The knife comes back into his necks personal space. “Don’t play games with me you Fire Nation scum!” she yells, pressing the knife just hard enough to draw blood. “You are going to tell me, and you are going to tell me now! What are you doing here!”

    “Watch it, blueberry,” Hank says, almost bored to her surprise. “Dead men don’t talk. You might just kill someone with that- and there where will we be?”

    She holds his stare, eyes filled with outrage at his defiance; she’s the one holding a knife to his throat but he still has total control over the situation. A beat passes and she tucks the knife back into her belt to Hank’s satisfaction.

    It is short-lived, however, as he soon is awkwardly doubling over after she punched him in the stomach. The woman signals for the brunette to come over and the two start to ascend the staircase.

    “We’ll come back within the hour,” the blue-haired woman said. “And you better talk- or else I don’t see the point in keeping you alive any longer.”

~~~

    “I can’t believe this,” Connors muffled voice breaks the silence once again.

    Hank can’t help but laugh at the situation. It’s void of its usual joy, but it is a laugh all the same. “Yeah, I know-”

    “The Avatar will be long gone by now,” he finishes dejectedly.

    Immediately Hank feels his temper soar. “Are you fucking kidding me?” He scoffs, pulling an ugly sneer at the younger man- not that he can see it. “Always about the damn mission with you, isn’t Connor? How about you worry about yourself for once.” Hank shakes his head. “You don’t even know who these people are, huh?”

    Perplexed, Connor frowns and asks back, “Should I?”

    “To think a smart ass like you doesn’t know who the Traci’s Angels are even when they slapped you in the face,” Hank laughs. “Traci’s Angels are an elite rebel force who are trained to take down the Fire Nation at all costs. They are a force not to reckon with, believe me.”

    “You sound like you have a history with this group, Hank.”

    “One of my many crushing defeats in these past years,” he shrugs as if he didn’t care. “All I know is that I didn’t want to see these guys ever again.”

    The two stayed silent for a while, unsure how to proceed. “Well,” Connor starts, “If they’re fighting is as bad as their interrogation skills, I’d say the odds are definitely in our favor.”

    Despite the circumstances, Hank laughs genuinely; though Connor’s humor consists of the occasional bad pun and barbed insults- usually directed at the old man- it is nice to know that he’s actively trying to lighten the mood.

    He continues, saying, “She said an hour correct? That gives us time to think of a plan to get out of here,” in hope of steering the conversation back on track.

    “I’m afraid that these Tracis’ are quite the formidable opponent, Connor. I’m wishin’ you all the good luck because the moment you set foot out there you're gonna be beaten to a pulp.”

    “Hank, if we want to get out of here, it would be in our best interest to work together.”

    There’s a moment of silence, but just when Connor thinks that the older man is just going to ignore him a long exaggerated sigh cuts through the room and Hank says, “Fine. What’s the plan?”

~~~

    Thirty minutes past and the two have gone over plan 4 times now. Connor is not nervous, because he never is nervous, but he is a little…hesitant to move forth with this plan, as it leaves a large portion of their escape to chance, something Amanda always disapproved of.

    Amanda. It’s now that Connor realizes he hasn’t checked in with Amanda for more than 24 hours.

    She is not going to be pleased with him, that’s for sure.

    “Hey Blueberry!” Hank’s voice calls out, pulling Connor from his thoughts.

    The exclamation is met with silence, so Hank tries again.

    “Whaat? Don’t like that nickname?”

    More silence.

    Annoyed, Hank begins to repeatedly bang his chains to where they are bound to get any response. After a few minutes of the endless clanking, it finally works.

    Light shines down upon them from where the basement door whips open, revealing the blue haired warrior once more. She looks very angry. “What?” She yells from where she is standing.

    “Finally! I thought you said you would be here in an hour? What took you so long?” Hank calls out.

    She quickly comes back downstairs, eyes disbelieving. “Do I have to remind you of your place, prisoner?” she says, bringing her dagger back out menacingly. “Or are you going to stop having problems with me?”

    Hank keeps her gaze but nods respectfully. She doesn’t seem to think it’s genuine and rolls her eyes in return. She sheaths the dagger once more and starts to walk up the stairs-

    “Actually, I do have one problem,” Connor inquires.

    She halts in her steps and turns back to the man still in the sack. He takes her pause as an indication to continue and says, “These shackles are too loose. Do you mind tightening them?” he holds his wrists up to her innocently.

    “Your shackles are...too loose,” She deadpans in response.

    Connor nods. “That's right. The cuffs move and jangle around and bump my wrists,” he makes a point to shake his wrists in emphasis. “It would help me if you tighten them so they wouldn't shake around so much.”

    A beat passes and she sighs, mumbling to herself, “You Fire Nation are a different breed.”

    The warrior then crouched down and grabbed Connor’s cuffs in her hands. Just as she placed the key into the lock, however, the man grabbed her by the lapels and flung her back, face first, into the beam he was currently tied to. Disoriented, she stumbled back, grabbing at her nose that was spewing blood. Connor then blasted a fireball at her, throwing her into the wall, where she finally slumped down and stopped moving.

    Connor waited to hear if she was getting up again but deemed it safe after nothing else happened.

    “Could you have been any louder?” Hank whispers angrily at him

    Connor frowns at the man. “My mistake, Hank. The next time I flight someone blindfolded I’ll make sure to keep in mind of any noise complaints,” Connor sarcastically remarks as he unlocks the restraint that is tied around the support beam. As he stands up to finally look at the room he notices the blood that has splattered onto the beam above him. He gives it a disgusted look before giving the key to Hank.

    “Is she dead?” Hank asks from where he is.

    Connor turns to the unconscious body of the woman. From where he is standing he can see that she is thankfully breathing. He rolls up his sleeves and then proceeds to drag her back to where they were tied up, restraining her to the floor and beam in the same position he was in. Satisfied with his work, Connor then grabbed her knife and placed it onto one of the storage bins.

~~~

    After gagging the woman, the two decided that it was time to move onto phase two of the escape and left through the basement door. As soon as they opened the door, Hank quickly dragged Connor to hide behind some crates.

    “Okay, remember- let's just stick together and everything will turn out fine,” Hank tells him reassuringly, but Connor can’t tell if he is saying it to reassure himself or Connor.

    He nods anyways.

    After that, Hank peeks from where they are hiding and sees no one else in the closest vicinity. He signals for Connor to move and the two then make a beeline to the nearest door, which thankfully, is a bathroom. Connor quickly locks the door behind them as Hank glances out the window. When he deems that it’s safe, he opens it all the way, gesturing to Connor to jump through.

    However, all of his years of physical training summed up to nothing compared to this window, as Connor fell face first into the dirt below. Hank could barely contain his laughter at seeing the prince like this, one of the few times where he flounders really is something he appreciates.

    Connor stood back up, face beet red in embarrassment. As he was dusting himself off, he heard a commotion coming from around the corner. Curiously, he went to investigate when he spots a couple of Traci’s Angels forcefully keeping a metal shed closed. The doors kept on bulging out as if something was trying to escape.

    “Connor! Where are you going?!” Hank whispered from inside the bathroom.

    The younger man put a finger to his lips before slipping past and out of sight.

    Hank feels like tearing the hair out of his head. “Fucking-- what was the first thing I said?!” Hank whispered angrily to himself. Seeing that Connor wasn’t stopping for him, the older man jumped through the window and ran after him.

    Thankfully the warriors who were visible were too focused on keeping the shed closed to see Connor and Hank tumble into what seems to be a training grounds of some sort.

    The two ran for cover behind some shrubbery that followed the perimeter of the building. Another loud bang followed by a low guttural growl from the shed rang throughout the grounds as several more of Traci’s Angels strenuously kept it from bursting open.

    “Holy Shit!” one of them yelled, digging his heels into the ground. “What are those Fire Nation fucks feeding this thing?!”

    Suspicions correct, Connor turned to Hank with wide eyes. “Sumo’s in there, surrounded by at least 12 warriors. If they are as good as you say they are, this isn’t a fight we are going to win.”

    Hank closed his eyes for a brief second to collect his thoughts. The last time he faced Traci’s Angels, he was inexperienced, back when he was a brigadier and not a lieutenant. But now, with well over 15 years of experience, the man has learned a thing or two. “Connor,” the man says, tone more serious than Connor could ever remember. “I need you to get Sumo out of that shed and away from it as quickly as possible. After that mount him and await my instructions. Do you think you can do that?”

    Connor looked back to the where Traci’s Angels were and analyzed his options. “The moment they see me im 80% certain that they will instinctively want to follow me, which will momentarily cause a lapse in their--”

    “Can you do it?” Hank asked again.

     Connor paused before nodding and blasting away from their hiding spot, swerving right past the people holding the shed closed. Just as he predicted, some of the warriors instinctively veered towards him to give chase, giving Sumo the perfect opening to break free from their hold on the doors.

    Those who didn’t get absolutely trampled by the giant polar bear dog went flying into the air from the force. Sumo didn’t stop running until he came face to face with Connor, who was desperately hoping that he too wouldn’t get trampled by the large dog’s enthusiasm. Connor immediately mounted Sumo and awaited Hank’s next direction.

    More warriors came tunneling out of the back door, including one furious blue haired one with crusted blood painting what should have been white around her upper lip and chin. There was a moment where no one did anything and stared, no one sure who was going to make the first move. Hank took the initiative and whistled as loud as he could, unbeknownst to Connor that the whistle was meant for Sumo, signaling for him to run the hell out of here.

     Shocked by this sudden turns of events, Connor desperately tries to turn Sumo back to the camp, back to Hank, because he will not abandon him-

    Just then, his world is filled with nothing but light, to the point where he as to cover his eyes from how bright it is. He doesn’t know where it’s coming from, only that the deafening clap of thunder that accompanied said light has caused Sumo to halt in his trotting to whine in pain. Connor tries his best to soothe the polar bear-dog, and thankfully, just as quick as the light came, it was gone. After another few minutes of calming Sumo down, Connor gets him to start heading back to where the camp was. The two make it back and Connor cannot believe his eyes, everyone is on the floor in different states of consciousness, everything appears to be scorched, but not with any scorch marks that are made by a flame, almost as if-

    Eyes wide, Connor takes the evidence that is laid out in front of him and looks to Hank. Disbelieving of what he’s about to say, Connor blurts, “Are you a lightning bender?”

* * *

 

    “Here, let me,” Luther says as he sees Kara’s shift her pack once more to ease the pain in her arm.

    “Oh no, that’s alright, Luther. Really I’m fine,” Kara says, readjusting so her weak arm takes less of the weight. Her protests fall on deaf ears, however, as Luther feels he has to help in some way- after all, Kara had no reason to trust him and she still let him accompany her and Alice.

    “Please, I insist,” He says with a kind smile, holding his arm out for the bag.

    Kara hesitates. Her arm really is hurting her and every time she has to readjust, she slows down the group. She decidedly caves in and gives him the bag. Immediately she feels the strain her arm was under vanish and she sighs in relief. The cold air of the night had settled deep into her joints, which made carrying the bag more and more laborious as the night went on. Kara looked to Alice and saw that the little girl was rubbing sleep from her eyes.

    The three of them had walked all night throughout the woodlands and can now see the faint glimmer of the sun rising from the east. It was a particularly foggy morning, the three had to stay close just in case they lost one another. “I think we should stop here,” Kara says as they find a small clearing in the forest. “Alice needs to sleep.”

    “But I’m not sleepy,” Alice is all but dragging her feet at this point. Kara smiles and tousles Alice’s hair as Luther pulls her sleeping bag from the pack, and then pulls one out for Kara as well.

    “I’ll take the first watch,” He says, sitting down on a tree stump.

    Kara looks at him pointedly. “I think we need to talk first,” she hands him the sleeping bag back.

    “Of course.”

    Kara goes back to settling Alice in for the night. Err. Day. The girl is already laying down, safely tucked in. Kara gently strokes the stray hairs away from Alice’s face.

    “I know it’s been another rough day,” Kara says apologetically. “But try to get some sleep. Me and Luther will watch for any danger.”

    “Can you tell me a story, Kara?” Alice asks.

    Kara smiles down to the little girl and nods her head, happily. She always loved telling stories to Alice, as she always asked for a new one every time she put her to sleep.

    “This is a story about a little girl, one that was tired of being afraid...”

~~~

    “How did you hurt your arm anyways?”

    Kara turns to look at the man, and she realizes now that she had been massaging her bicep for the past 10 minutes. She puts her hands in her lap and looks down.

    “I used to be a servant for Alice’s father,” Kara says slowly. “He used to beat us, and one day…”

    Luther nods seeming to catch onto her drift. “I’m sorry. It seems that fate hasn’t been the most kindest to you two.”

    She sighs and glances down to Alice’s sleeping figure. “We only have each other, I don’t think I would have made it this far without her.”

    Luther admires that. He looks around at the clearing they have found. At least, he tries to. In the past hour, it feels like the fog has grown denser; it’s nearly at the point where he can no longer see his arm outstretched in front of himself.

    Kara turns to look back to him, her face uncharastically solemn. “We both know that Ba Sing Se isn’t safe- what are we going to do?”

    “Back at Zlatko’s, before I left, one of his prisoners told me of a place called Jericho- he said we can be free there.”

    “The last time I followed someone’s directions to a place of freedom I ended up at Zlatko’s doorstep,” Kara said coldly. She sighs, Luther didn’t deserve that. He was wronged by Zlatko just as she was. “Did he at least say where this Jericho was?” she tries again.

    “No,” He says to her disappointment. “But...he made it seem like I was supposed to know- he seemed saddened that I didn’t know his name.”

    She frowns at that. “...Do you remember anything from your life?”

    Just then, out from within the fog the two hear a sudden rustling that puts them on high alert. Kara jumps from where she is perched and Luther cautiously walks over to investigate. With one last cursory look at Alice, Kara follows.

    “Luther! Wait!” Kara whispers, blindly grabbing at his arm. Kara didn’t realize how thick the fog was until now. Panic sets in as she doesn’t grab him at first, but after a few moments of mindless walking, she bumps straight into his back.

    Startled, Luther turns around and frowns at her. “What are you doing?! Stay with the little one!” He whispers.

    “Little one?” A voice calls out from the fog. Both Luther and Kara jump and turn back to back.

    “Who’s there?” Luther demands, arms ready to attack if necessary. After no one replies Kara calls out, “Reveal yourself!”

    Suddenly the faint silhouette of a figure makes its way out of the fog. Kara’s eyes widen in shock when she sees who it is.

    It’s Jerry, one off the triplets who helped her fend off Alice’s fever all those days ago. He looks ragged and thinner than before and much smaller now that his brothers are not with him. Kara frowns at him. “Jerry?”

    Luther looks more confused than before, but he drops the defensive pose. “Kara, you know this man?”

    Kara nods, saying, “He and his brothers helped me bring down a terrible fever Alice had; I’m afraid to think what would have happened without them.”

    “Listen,” Jerry says, yelling out into the forest, not even directing himself at her, “I understand know. Please, can you let me go? I just want to find my brothers and leave.”

    Kara gasps in shock. “Jerry, you lost your brothers,?” Kara looks the man up and down again, noticing how fidgety he has become. Concerned, Kara takes a step towards him. “Jerry… How long have you been out here alone?”

    Jerry shoots her a sad smile, one that looks filled with heartbreak. “Listen, I know you aren’t really here, I’m sorry, but that wasn’t our-”

    Even more confused, Kara interrupts him saying, “What do you mean you know I am not really here?”

    Jerry puts his fist to his head and exclaims, “Augh! I can’t do this anymore!” he falls to the ground and starts begging to fog surrounding them, “Please just let me find my brothers! I can’t live without them!” Each plead begins to grow more and more watery until Jerry is full on sobbing on the floor.

    Kara looks to Luther confused but still walks over to Jerry’s form and puts a hand on his shoulder.

    Immediately the cry stops and Jerry looks up. He puts his hand on hers to make sure she’s really there. Slowly, the man turns back around and stands up to face Kara. With eyes filled with doubt, Jerry asks, “Are you really there?”

    Unsure how to answer, Kara nods hesitantly.

    Jerry’s mood does a complete 180-degree turn and he his suddenly hugging the living daylights out of Kara. After doing so he seems to pause for a second because he then grabs her by the shoulders and says, “Wait. I saw what happened to the village, how did you escape?”

    “We saw it too, but we decided to leave immediately after seeing the carnage, that’s not a place for anyone, nevermind Alice.”

    Jerry nods in understanding. “Well, it’s good to know that you and Alice are still alive,” Jerry says in a calm voice.

    Kara doesn’t like seeing Jerry like this, it’s almost as if he’s unhinged with how fast he is going through mood swings. She doesn’t know the man well enough, but she knows he is kind and charitable, someone who would run out into the freezing rain and jump into a marsh to find a frozen frog for your sore throat.

    Looking around, Jerry scratches at his head and says, “Speaking of which, Where is the little one?”

    “I left her sleeping like 10 feet that way,” Kara says, pointing behind herself  
    “What!?” Jerry screams. “No! No no nonono!” He starts running off in that direction, brushing harshly past the two adults. Luther follows immediately after him alongside Kara.

    “J-Jerry wait up! Why are you running?” Kara yells at him.

    “This isn’t a regular forest fog, Kara. This stuff plays tricks on you,” Jerry says looking around fearfully. He gets really close to the two of them and whispers, “Make you see things…and it makes you lose things.”

    That last sentence made something deep in Kara’s stomach lurch.

    “One minute I’m sitting up in my sack because a noise woke me up in the night,” Jerry says, voice wavering in sadness. “I go to investigate and the next thing you know I’m completely lost, seeing people who don’t exist, and searching endlessly for my brothers,” he says looking around in the fog.

    Kara starts to swat some of the fog away. “Alice!” she screams.

    No one answered.

    Kara can feel a pit lodging itself into her throat. “A-Alice!” she tries again.

    But it was to no avail.

    Alice was gone.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If ur confused on why Jerry thought Kara and Alice were dead it was because on the night they walked up the mountain there were some Fire Nation Raiders who destroyed the place and killed everyone. Kara and Alice decided to leave immediately after seeing the carnage, but the brother believed that since they never told them about what happened to the village they must have died with them.
> 
> also tellin u know: you know DAMN WELL everyone is gonna have an animal friend on their journey. Hank and Connor: Check. Kara and Alice: Check. Jericho: Not yet.

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: I have updated the story after downloading Grammarly. Sorry about any mistakes!!!


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